Thailand’s Songkran safe from Cambodia’s Maha Songkran UNESCO bid

Cambodia’s application to list its ‘Mohasangkran chnam Thmey’, or the traditional Khmer New Year in Cambodia, as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity will not affect the status of Thailand’s Songkran, which has already been so recognised, in 2023, by UNESCO.

Yuthika Isarangkura na Ayutthaya, director-general of the Cultural Promotion Department, has explained that the UNESCO’s listing of one country’s traditional culture does not necessarily mean that the country can claim exclusivity, because a similar culture may also exist in other countries as well.

She cited the case of Myanmar, whose traditional New Year ‘Ata Thingyan’ festival, held during April like a traditional New Year, or the other Southeast Asian countries recognised by UNESCO as having an intangible cultural heritage in 2024.

As a member of the Convention, she said Cambodia has the right to apply for UNESCO recognition of its traditional Khmer New Year, said Yuthika.

Thailand joined the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage on June 10th, 2016. Today, Thailand has six traditional cultures listed by UNESCO.

They are the ‘Khon’ mask dance in 2018, Thai massage in 2019, the southern ‘Nora’ dance in 2021, Songkran in 2023, ‘Tom Yum Gung’ soup in 2024 and ‘Kebaya’ in 2024, which was jointly proposed by Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei.

‘Kebaya’ is a traditional figure-hugging blouse and skirt worn by women in those countries.