Thailand proposes Phra That Phanom as world heritage

BANGKOK, November 23 (TNA) - Thailand's National Committee for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage has approved a proposal on listing the Phra That Phanom pagoda in Nakhon Phanom Province in the Thai Northeast a new world heritage site under UNESCO. Thai Culture Minister Weera Rojpojanarat told journalists of the decision on Wednesday, after a meeting of the National Committee for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in Bangkok. Weera said the meeting has endorsed the proposal on adding the Phra That Phanom as another world heritage site of Thailand under the tentative list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). According to the minister, the Phra That Phanom pagoda meets three qualifications to become a world heritage under UNESCO, including being a representation of a manmade masterpiece created with human creativity and intelligence, a great influence for future architectural designs, monuments, sculptures and further development of related fine arts masterpieces and human settlements and a representation of an ideology or belief directly connected to an important historical person or situation. Wednesday's meeting tasked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to propose the idea to the Thai Cabinet for further consideration and resolution. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that the cumulative number of international visitors to Thailand had reached 28.7 million during the first 10 months of this year, earning the Kingdom about 1.43 trillion baht of tourism-related revenues, a 10.38 per cent year-on-year increase, with Chinese tourists found to spend most during their trips in Thailand, followed by those from Malaysia. (TNA)