Bangkok, 16 December 2025 — At 3:00 p.m., Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, presided over the 5/2025 Meeting of the National Committee on the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The meeting was attended by Ms. Sabida Thaiseat, Minister of Culture, Ms. Chulamani Chatisuwan, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, serving as Vice Chair, together with committee members and distinguished experts. The meeting was held at the 10th Floor Conference Room of the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tipco Tower, and via video conference.

The meeting resolved to approve, in principle, the draft nomination dossier for the cultural heritage property entitled “Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna,” for submission for inscription on the World Heritage List. The proposed property covers an area of 383 rai, 1 ngan, and 20 square wah, comprising the Chiang Mai city wall and moat, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Buppharam (Wat Suan Dok), the archaeological site of Wat Umong Suan Phutthatham, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Ratchaworawihan, and the archaeological site of Wat Mahabodharam (Wat Chet Yot), in accordance with the resolution of the Sub-Committee on Cultural World Heritage dated 12 December 2025. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning was tasked with expediting the submission of the draft dossier to the Cabinet so that Thailand may transmit the nomination to the World Heritage Centre by 30 January 2026, which is the final year in which submissions may be made without undergoing the Preliminary Assessment process. Should the deadline be missed or the dossier returned, the nomination process would need to restart under the preliminary assessment procedure, requiring no less than three years to complete. The advancement of “Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna” toward World Heritage inscription is expected to enhance Thailand’s role and image on the international stage, and, if successful, to generate long-term cultural and economic value for Chiang Mai Province.

The meeting also took note of progress on two additional cultural heritage nominations of Thailand. These include Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, which is scheduled for consideration at the 48th Ordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee to be held from 19 to 29 July 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea, and Phra That Phanom and its associated historical structures and cultural landscape, proposed for World Heritage inscription. In addition, the meeting considered Thailand’s potential participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership World Heritage Cooperation Alliance, following an invitation from the People’s Republic of China, and assigned the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Fine Arts Department, and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, to examine the advantages, disadvantages, and appropriate approach to joining the alliance.

Following the meeting, Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, together with Mr. Bovornvet Rungruji, a distinguished expert, provided remarks to the media on the significance of advancing the nomination of “Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna” as a World Cultural Heritage property of Thailand. They emphasized that the site possesses Outstanding Universal Value, with integrity and completeness of interrelated cultural attributes, authenticity and originality, and well-preserved characteristics of an ancient city that continues to be used in accordance with long-standing traditions to the present day. The nomination is therefore considered appropriate for World Heritage inscription in order to instill pride among future generations and to promote understanding of Thai history during the Lanna Kingdom period, another significant era in Thailand’s past, while also contributing to national recognition and sustainable tourism income.