Sabida inspects Chiang Mai Lanna World Heritage readiness

Thairath•Politics•2d ago

Reader Briefing

Minister Sabida Thaiseth visited Chiang Mai to evaluate preparations for the ICOMOS technical evaluation of the Nakhon Luang Lanna World Heritage nomination.

•Minister Sabida Thaiseth inspected several sites in Chiang Mai on July 18, 2026.
•ICOMOS is scheduled to conduct a Technical Evaluation Mission from August 3-8, 2026.
•Thailand submitted the Nomination Dossier to the World Heritage Centre in Paris on February 1, 2026.
•The nomination is expected to be considered by the World Heritage Committee during its annual session in 2027.

Overview

•Sabida Thaiseth visited sites including Tha Phae Gate and Wat Chedi Luang to monitor readiness for the ICOMOS technical evaluation.
•The Cabinet approved the nomination documents on January 13, 2026, and Thailand submitted the dossier on February 1, 2026.
•The nomination site, Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna, has been on the UNESCO Tentative List since 2015.
•The nomination is based on Outstanding Universal Value criteria regarding Buddhist influence and Lanna civilization during the 19th-20th Buddhist centuries.
•The proposal covers three main groups: city walls and moats, Wat Umong Suan Phuttha Tham and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, and Wat Chet Yot.
•ICOMOS will conduct a technical evaluation between August 3-8, 2026, followed by a report to the World Heritage Committee.
•The World Heritage Committee is expected to consider the nomination during its annual session around June - July 2027.

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Key Quotes

Sabida Thaiseth

"Pushing Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna, to become a World Heritage site is not just about registering ancient monuments, but confirming the value of Lanna civilization to humanity."

การผลักดันเชียงใหม่ นครหลวงล้านนา สู่การเป็นแหล่งมรดกโลก จะไม่ใช่เพียงการเสนอขึ้นทะเบียนโบราณสถาน แต่เป็นการยืนยันคุณค่าของอารยธรรมล้านนาที่มีความสำคัญต่อมวลมนุษยชาติ

Key Entities

Person

Sabida Thaiseth(ซาบีดา ไทยเศรษฐ์)ℹ️

Minister of Culture who inspected the readiness of Chiang Mai for World Heritage registration.

Prasop Riangngoen(ประสพ เรียงเงิน)

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.

Rattapol Naradison(รัฐพล นราดิศร)

Governor of Chiang Mai Province.

Khanittha Chotikawanich(ขนิษฐา โชติกวณิชย์)

Deputy Director-General of the Fine Arts Department.

Chinnawut Wilyalai(ชินณวุฒิ วิลยาลัย)

Deputy Director-General of the Fine Arts Department.

Potjanat Panyasin(พจนาถ ปัญญาศิลป์)

Deputy Director-General of the Department of Religious Affairs.

Issara Riwatrakulpaiboon(อิสระ ริ้วตระกูลไพบูลย์)

Deputy Director of the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture.

Organization

Ministry of Culture(กระทรวงวัฒนธรรม)ℹ️

The government ministry overseeing the push for Chiang Mai's World Heritage registration.

ICOMOSℹ️

The International Council on Monuments and Sites, an advisory body to the World Heritage Committee.

UNESCO(องค์การยูเนสโก)ℹ️

The international organization responsible for the World Heritage list.

Fine Arts Department(กรมศิลปากร)ℹ️

The department providing support and guidance to Chiang Mai for heritage management.

Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organization(องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัดเชียงใหม่)

The organization assigned to prepare the nomination documents for World Heritage registration.

Cabinet(คณะรัฐมนตรี)

The government body that approved the nomination documents on January 13, 2026.

World Heritage Centre(ศูนย์มรดกโลก)ℹ️

The body in Paris, France, that received Thailand's nomination dossier.

World Heritage Committee(คณะกรรมการมรดกโลก)ℹ️

The committee that makes final decisions on World Heritage registration.

Place

Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna(เชียงใหม่ นครหลวงล้านนา)

The cultural heritage site being proposed for UNESCO World Heritage registration.