CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- When Thailand's Phu Phrabat Historical Park, with its extraordinary rock formations, was designated a World Heritage Site at the latest meeting of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee at New Delhi in July 2024, it joined seven other Thai sites and 1,222 sites globally that share this accolade.
To be granted World Heritage status, a site must satisfy at least one of 10 criteria that determine eligibility on historical, cultural or natural heritage grounds. Thailand's roster includes four other sites of historical and cultural importance -- Sukhothai and Ayutthaya (both former capitals of Siam, as Thailand was once known) plus the ancient cultural sites Si Thep and Ban Chiang -- and three environmental sites: Khao Yai National Park and the Kaeng Krachan and Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng wildlife sanctuaries.
%2520Khum%2520Chao%2520Luang-1.jpg?width=178&fit=cover&gravity=faces&dpr=2&quality=medium&source=nar-cms&format=auto&height=100)
