Thai Cabinet Endorses Chiang Mai’s UNESCO World Heritage Nomination
Government approves dossier submission for the historic Lanna capital’s cultural landscape ahead of the January deadline
Thailand’s Cabinet has approved a formal proposal to nominate Chiang Mai’s cultural landscape, known as “Chiang Mai: Capital of Lanna,” for inscription on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage List as a cultural landscape.
The decision, taken on January 13, mandates the completion and submission of the nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris by January 30, marking a key step in the city’s bid to gain global recognition for its deep historical and cultural significance.
The nomination covers eight major heritage locations and archaeological sites, encompassing ancient temples, traditional urban structures and the surrounding cultural environment that collectively reflect the distinctive heritage of the Lanna Kingdom and its evolution over centuries.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana confirmed that the Cabinet also authorised the chair of Thailand’s National Committee on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage to sign the official nomination documents on behalf of the government, and tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, with lodgement of the completed dossier.
The initiative represents a concerted policy priority to safeguard, manage and promote Thailand’s rich cultural legacy on the global stage, aligning heritage conservation with sustainable tourism and community-centred development.
If approved by UNESCO following rigorous evaluation, the recognition would elevate Chiang Mai’s international standing and underscore its outstanding universal value as an enduring centre of art, religion and urban culture in Southeast Asia.
The decision, taken on January 13, mandates the completion and submission of the nomination dossier to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris by January 30, marking a key step in the city’s bid to gain global recognition for its deep historical and cultural significance.
The nomination covers eight major heritage locations and archaeological sites, encompassing ancient temples, traditional urban structures and the surrounding cultural environment that collectively reflect the distinctive heritage of the Lanna Kingdom and its evolution over centuries.
Deputy Government Spokesperson Lalida Periswiwatana confirmed that the Cabinet also authorised the chair of Thailand’s National Committee on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage to sign the official nomination documents on behalf of the government, and tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, with lodgement of the completed dossier.
The initiative represents a concerted policy priority to safeguard, manage and promote Thailand’s rich cultural legacy on the global stage, aligning heritage conservation with sustainable tourism and community-centred development.
If approved by UNESCO following rigorous evaluation, the recognition would elevate Chiang Mai’s international standing and underscore its outstanding universal value as an enduring centre of art, religion and urban culture in Southeast Asia.
