Unesco has listed traditional Thai massage, Nuad Thai, on its prestigious World Heritage list.
Dr Pramote Satianrat, deputy director of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, announced the decision on Friday.
He also thanked the Culture Ministry’s Department of Cultural Promotion for submitting traditional Thai massage to Unesco for consideration.
The Unesco committee agreed to list Nuad Thai as an "intangible cultural heritage" at its meeting in Bogotá, Colombia, on Thursday.
Dr Pramote made the announcement at Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram, widely known as Wat Pho and a centre of learning of Thai massage.
He was accompanied by Culture Minister Itthipol Khunpluem and Preeda Tangtrongchitr, director of Wat Pho Thai Traditional Massage School.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also welcomed the announcement as a success for the Thai people and the kingdom "in making local wisdom become globally known”.
“The Public Health Ministry will develop Nuad Thai as a traditional medical science for the maximum benefit of Thai people, including relieving and curing symptoms and making it a profession for Thais," he said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul expresses his delight on his Facebook page over Unesco's listing of Nuad Thai as an intangible cultural heritage.