29 January 2026 – Dr. Raweewan Bhuridej, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on His Holiness Somdet Phra Ariyavongsagatanana, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand, at Arun Residence, Wat Ratchabophit Sathit Maha Simaram Ratchaworawihan, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok, in order to pay homage and respectfully present documentation regarding the nomination of various sites in Thailand for inscription on the World Heritage List.

On this occasion, Mr. Borvornvate Rungrujee, former Director-General of the Fine Arts Department and President of ICOMOS Thailand, respectfully presented the nomination dossier for the inscription of cultural heritage sites, monuments, and the cultural landscape of Chiang Mai, “Capital of Lanna,” which comprises a total of eight archaeological and significant sites, divided into three components as follows: (1) the City of Chiang Mai and significant monuments within the city (Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Phra Singh), as well as cultural heritage sites outside the city of Chiang Mai (Wat Buppharam, also known as Wat Suan Dok);
(2) the archaeological sites of Wat Umong, Suan Phutthatham, and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep; and (3) the archaeological site of Wat Mahaphotharam (Wat Chet Yot).

In addition, a progress report was respectfully submitted regarding the nomination of various temples for inscription as World Heritage Sites, including the principal prang of Wat Arun Ratchawararam, an identity of the Rattanakosin era, which has already been included on the UNESCO Tentative List.