Minister of Culture Sermsak Pongpanich recently presided over this year’s 1st World Cultural Heritage Subcommittee meeting, focusing on the progress of applications for UNESCO World Heritage status for various cultural sites in the country.
The locations discussed during the meeting, namely Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phra That Phanom in Nakhon Phanom, and Chiang Mai’s Memorial Sites, have been on UNESCO’s tentative list for several years, and the committee recommended updates to ensure their applications are complete and current.
The gathering also tabled plans to include Phu Phra Bat Historical Park in Udon Thani in this year’s World Heritage Committee agenda. The park’s comprehensive application documents have already been submitted to UNESCO’s World Heritage Center in Paris.
Minister Sermsak also touched upon additional cultural heritage locations that are on UNESCO’s preliminary list. These sites are currently updating their records to meet UNESCO’s standards. Following the subcommittee’s approval of their completed documents, each site will be promptly submitted for consideration during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee in July.
The news follows the registration of the ancient city of Si Thep as a World Heritage Site, marking Thailand’s fourth cultural World Heritage Site, joining the ranks of the ancient cities of Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and the Ban Chiang Archaeological Site in Udon Thani.
The Department of Fine Arts has been given the responsibility of compiling a comprehensive progress report on the city of Si Thep and submitting it to UNESCO by the end of the year. The task involves gathering detailed information on the steps taken since the city’s inclusion in the World Heritage list, the current status of the site, and any ongoing or planned preservation efforts. (NNT)
