The cabinet has approved an application to propose Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat as a Unesco world heritage site, 12 years after it was first placed on a tentative list.
Local residents were very pleased by Tuesday's decision as they have been waiting a long time since the World Heritage Committee placed the temple on the tentative list in 2013, said Chaichana Dechdecho, an MP for the southern province and deputy leader of the Democrat Party.
He thanked Chalermchai Sri-on, the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and leader of the Democrat Party, for bringing the proposal to the cabinet.
The next step is to submit the official documents to the World Heritage Centre in Paris by Feb 1 for the temple to be included in the 2025 round, he said.
The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) will announce the results of Thailand's application by March 1.
Once it passes this step, the proposal will be sent to the Unesco Expert Committee for another year of consideration. Committee members will inspect the site in early 2026 before making their final recommendation.
The first-class royal temple, built in the 13th century CE, is a cultural heritage site that represents a prominent exchange of religious cultures between Brahmin-Hindu, Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism in maritime Southeast Asia.
The site has been in continuous religious use for around 1,200 years and served as a hub of a unique blend of different beliefs, reflecting the strong relationship between the sacred place and the surrounding communities.
