World heritage status for temple in sight

PUBLISHED : 21 Jun 2026 at 05:22

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat has moved a step closer to becoming Thailand's ninth World Heritage Site after Unesco's advisory body recommended its inscription.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin said the nomination will be considered at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, from July 19–29, with deliberations on the site scheduled for July 24–26.

The advisory body recognises the temple's outstanding value as a site reflecting more than 1,500 years of religious and cultural traditions and its role as a major centre for the spread of religious influence, art and culture across maritime Southeast Asia, he said.

The nomination follows more than a decade of work by government agencies, local authorities and conservation experts. If approved, the temple will become Thailand's ninth World Heritage Site, its sixth cultural listing and the first cultural World Heritage Site in southern Thailand.

Fine Arts Department director-general Phnombootra Chandrajoti said preparations are under way to ensure long-term protection of the site.

Authorities may impose stricter controls on new construction, improve land-use management, regulate vendors and prepare for increased numbers of domestic and foreign visitors.

Documents submitted to Unesco say Wat Phra Mahathat became the principal temple of Nakhon Si Thammarat, capital of the Tambralinga state, between the early 13th and mid-14th centuries.

Its main structure, the bell-shaped stupa, was built in the early 13th century and is believed to house the Buddha's relics. This has made the temple one of the most important centres of Theravada Buddhism.

The temple remained a major religious centre after the area came under Ayutthaya rule and continues to be a sacred site for millions of Buddhists. Phra Borommathat Chedi is regarded as the oldest bell-shaped stupa in Thailand to enshrine the Buddha's relics.