BANGKOK – The government agencies congratulated “Songkran in Thailand” for being inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 6, 2023.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin led the congratulations and applauded all sectors, including the Secretariat, for their hard work and dedication, particularly the evaluation department and the committee that were chosen for “Songkran in Thailand,” which is on the representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
“The government is eager to share Songkran knowledge and practises with the international community.” I am hopeful that dialogue and mutual understanding can lead to peace and stability for all sides. “The government invites visitors from all over the world to come and experience Thailand’s Songkran tradition,” he said.
The Cultural Promotion Department has organised a celebratory event for December 7 at Lan Khon Mueang Town Square in Bangkok. The ceremony will be presided over by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, and Anntonia Porsild, the first runner-up in the Miss Universe 2023 competition, will join the presentation of Songkran goddess Mahothorn Dhevi, who will represent Songkran goddess in 2024.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival” has been inscribed by the Eighteenth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICS-ICH) held in Kasane, Republic of Botswana.
It is on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (RL) under the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage or the 2003 UNESCO Convention.
“The inscription marks another proud moment for Thailand and will significantly contribute to the international recognition of the values and importance of “Songkran” as the intangible cultural heritage on this very important tradition, as well as the manifestation of local wisdom and cultural diversity in various regions of Thailand,” it stated.
This encouraging news comes at the same time as the National Soft Power Strategic Committee recently decided that the Songkran Festival, which will take place next year, will be the primary festive activity among the 10,000 planned for 2024.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vice Chairman of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, announced that the next Songkran will be a world-class event called “World Water Festival: The Songkran Phenomenon,” which will take place throughout Thailand’s 77 provinces throughout the month of April.
To date, Thailand has four elements inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, namely, Khon Masked Dance Drama (2018), Nuad Thai (2019), Nora, Dance Drama (2021) and Songkran in Thailand, traditional Thai New Year festival (2023).
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