BANGKOK — Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin delivered a keynote address via a teleconference on July 27, 2024 at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee following the decision made by Committee Members of the World Heritage Centre to inscribe “Phu Phrabat” on the World Heritage List.
The event took place at the Bharat Mandapam International Exhibition and Convention Centre, New Delhi, Republic of India. Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke disclosed gist as follows:
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation toward the Committee Members of the World Heritage Centre, and the Advisory Bodies for recognizing the Outstanding Universal Value of “Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sima stone tradition of the Dvaravati period”, which led to its inscription on the World Heritage List.
With Phu Phrabat’s inscription, Thailand’s World Heritage List now includes five cultural and three natural sites. Udon Thani, where this new site is located, is now the only province in Thailand that is home to two World Heritage Sites.
According to the Prime Minister, the Phu Phrabat site consists of Phu Phrabat Historical Park and the Sima cultural sites. It represents the Sima stone tradition from the Dvaravati period, dating back to around the 8th Century, and preserves the largest corpus of Sima stones in the world.
The inscription of Phu Phrabat on the World Heritage List today is not only significant to Thailand, but it will also benefit future generations. This will bring forth conservation, restoration, and protection efforts at all levels, as well as contributions in academic research in the interest of humankind.
In closing, the Prime Minister stated that he looked forward to welcoming everyone to Thailand to visit the country’s newly inscribed World Heritage Site.
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park is located on a small sandstone mountain in the Phu Phan mountain range, Ban Phue District, in the western part of Udon Thani Province. It is situated within the Khuea Nam National Forest Reserve, at an elevation of approximately 320-350 meters above sea level. The landscape is characterized by large rock shelters scattered throughout the dense forest area.
These unusually shaped rock shelters were formed by glacial movement during the Mesozoic-Cretaceous period and differential erosion of rock layers. This resulted in large flat rocks resting on one or more stone pillars of varying heights, resembling giant mushrooms scattered throughout the mountainous area.
Phu Phra Bat Historical Park is unique compared to other historical parks because most of the ancient structures found in the park are naturally formed. These structures were created by natural processes that altered the area’s geomorphology before humans in the past adapted them to serve their cultural needs in different periods.
The unusual rock formations in the park include spires, massive boulders and balanced rocks and form the backdrop for the prehistoric art and religious shrines created there. The geological origins of these rocks are thought to be from under-sea erosion that occurred fifteen million years ago.
Prehistoric art paintings on the rocks can best be seen where some rocks have formed a natural shelter. Others have faded considerably. The formations named Tham Wua and Tham Khon are particularly good examples; in the former oxen are depicted, the latter has huma n figures. The park’s rock paintings are believed to date from 6,000 years ago.
Phu Phra Bat’s rock formations are the setting for a local legend about a king, his daughter and her suitor. The park’s most striking rock formation, Ho Nang Usa, is where the overprotective king forced his beautiful daughter to live. Despite her confinement, she was able to get a message out to her suitor prince and the two were married in defiance of her father.
Ho Nang Usa is one of a number of the rock formations where a shrine has been constructed. Early shrines date to the Dvaravati period in the seventh to tenth centuries. Shrines feature Hindu and Buddhist influences.
Thailand submitted documents for Phu Phra Bat Historical Park to be registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 2004, over 20 years ago. It finally succeeded in being declared a World Cultural Heritage site in 2024.
The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee is held during July 21-31, 2024 in New Delhi, Republic of India. At the session, two Thailand’s heritage sites have been included in the agendas:
1) Deliberation on inclusion of Songkhla and its Associated Lagoon Settlements in the the World Heritage Centre’s Tentative Lists
2) Deliberation on inscription of the Phu Phrabat Historical Park and proposal of title change to “Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sima stone tradition of the Dvaravati period” on the World Heritage List (Cultural Landscape) for its Outstanding Universal Value.
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