Thailand proposes Phra That Phanom as a UNESCO world heritage site
Phra That Phanom, one of Thailand’s oldest and most religious structure, will be proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom.
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Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said that the Cabinet on 24 January 2017 approved the document for Phra That Phanom to be included in a tentative list for UNESCO's cultural heritage sites.
Thailand also prepares to submit its proposal for the registration of Phra That Phanom on the UNESCO list in 2019.
An international consultative workshop on conservation and management of the World Heritage of religious interest, focused on Asia-Pacific, was held in Bangkok and Nakhon Phnom province from 17 to 19 May 2017.
The three-day workshop was organized by the Thai National Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with the World Heritage Center and Thailand’s Ministry of Culture.
It aimed to discuss the linkages between the World Heritage Convention and the heritage of religious significance and the importance of spiritual values of the religious heritage.
The Culture Minister presided over the opening of the workshop, which was attended by experts from 15 countries. He said that Thailand also sought support and advice from the experts for its proposal on Phra That Phanom as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Phra That Phanom is located within the walled compound of the Temple of Phra That Phanom, about 600 meters west of the Mekong River. It is believed to have been built by Monk Maha Kassapa, a chief disciple of Buddha, to enshrine the Buddha's breastbone relics, eight years after Buddha's Nirvana.
This stupa is regarded as the most ancient Buddha's relic stupa in northeastern Thailand and in the Middle Mekong River basin. Throughout the millennia, Phra That Phanom has been steadfastly venerated by the multi-ethnic and multi-national populations living in all directions of the region.
It was registered in 1935 as an ancient monument by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand for conservation and protection.
Phra That Phanom is now standing as a glorious and living sacred monument in its original setting and cultural environment. It has become a center of spiritual inspiration for the promotion of harmony and peace among the people in the region.
