Ancient monastery in Thailand added to UNESCO heritage list
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
Also known as the Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has “served as a major regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the eighth century”, according to UNESCO.
PHOTO: TAT NAKHON SI THAMMARAT OFFICE/FACEBOOK
- Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in southern Thailand is now a UNESCO World Heritage site, marking the country's ninth listing and first in the southern region.
- The monastery, founded in the 8th century, reflects diverse religious and architectural influences from Brahmanism, Hinduism, and Buddhism across South and South-east Asia.
- UNESCO listing is expected to enhance conservation efforts and boost tourism, a vital sector for Thailand which is still recovering from the Covid-19 downturn.
AI generated
BANGKOK – A centuries-old monastery in southern Thailand is the country’s latest cultural landmark to be inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, which will aid in the site’s conservation, the government said July 26.
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province is Thailand’s ninth World Heritage site, but its first in the nation’s southern region, the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Its inscription will further strengthen cooperation at both the national and local levels in the conservation, protection and sustainable management of the World Heritage Site,” the ministry said.
Officials and monks marked the recognition by UNESCO at the monastery on July 25 by chanting blessings and banging a gong, local media reported.
Also known as the Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has “served as a major regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the eighth century”, according to UNESCO, the United Nations’ cultural agency.
The temple property includes towering grey stupas, a massive reclining Buddha statue, and rows of standing and seated gilded Buddha monuments, as well as various ornate representations of guardian deities.
Located in peninsular Thailand between the Pacific and Indian oceans, the monastery was influenced by diverse religions and architectural styles including Brahmanism, Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism from parts of India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, UNESCO said on its website.
“These influences have been integrated into its religious buildings, rituals and cultural traditions,” the agency added.
UNESCO heritage listings are thought to boost tourism, a key economic sector for Thailand which has yet to return to pre-Covid-19 visitor levels.
Total tourist arrivals dropped more than 3 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to the latest tourism ministry figures.
The Historic City of Ayutthaya, the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, and the Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments are among Thailand’s eight other UNESCO heritage sites. AFP
