Phu Prabat historical park added to UNESCO World Heritage List

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee agreed to add Phu Prabat historical park, in the north-eastern province of Udon Thani, to the World Heritage List at its 46th meeting, being held in New Delhi from July 21 to 31.

This will be Thailand’s fifth World Heritage site, after the historic cities of Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, and its satellite towns, Ban Chiang archaeological site in Udon Thani and the historic city of Si Thep in Phetchabun province.

Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol urged Thai people to express their joy and to celebrate the listing, adding that the Fine Arts Department will exempt entry fees for visits to Phu Prabat historical park from tomorrow until August 12, so Thai people and foreign tourists can celebrate this special occasion.

The Phu Prabat historical park is located on a mountain, called Phu Phra Bat in the Mueang Pan area of Ban Phue district, which is a part of the sandstone mountains of Phu Phan on the west side of Udon Thani.

What makes the site unique is that it contains traces of several civilisations and cultures spanning thousands of years. The hill contains traces of pre-historic man, the Dvaravati period and Khmer presence.

The park contains 68 historic structures, most of which are pre-historic or ancient Buddhist temples.

Manasawin Narksiri, an archaeologist, said that Phu Prabat was proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage site because of the presence of the Sima tradition and clear evidence that the park had seen the settlement of human communities since the pre-historic period, as manifested by the crafting of stones for Buddhist rituals.

Photo Credit: Thailand Tourism Directory