Phu Phrabat’s UNESCO World Heritage status elevates Thailand’s cultural tourism experiences

Phu Phrabat Historical Park – Udon Thani

The listing of Phu Phrabat Historical Park brings the number of World Heritage sites in Thailand to eight, including five in the cultural category.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) joins the Thai government and its people to celebrate the latest listing of Phu Phrabat Historical Park as the eighth UNESCO World Heritage site in Thailand as well as the second in the Northeastern province of Udon Thani.

Visitors planning to explore a wealth of Thailand’s cultural tourism experiences may wish to add a visit to Phu Phrabat Historical Park to their itinerary. The Park is in Udon Thani, one of the kingdom’s Hidden Gems destinations.

Phu Phrabat Historical Park has become Thailand’s newest UNESCO World Heritage site following the declaration at the World Heritage Committee’s 46th session held on 27 July 2024 in New Delhi, India.

UNESCO described Phu Phrabat as “a testimony to the Sīma stone tradition of the Dvaravati period”.

The citation also said, “While sacred boundary markers for areas of Theravada Buddhist monastic practice vary in materials, extensive use of stones is found only in the Khorat Plateau region in Southeast Asia.”

The Phu Phrabat site in Udon Thani’s Ban Phue District consists of the Phu Phrabat Historical Park and the Sima cultural sites. It represents the Sima stone tradition from the Dvaravati period and preserves the world’s largest corpus of Sīma stones. Within the site are many rocks of peculiar shapes, pre-historic cave paintings, and sandstone images, to name a few.
Phu Phrabat Historical Park – Udon Thani

The listing of Phu Phrabat Historical Park has brought the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Thailand to eight, comprising five cultural sites and three natural sites.

The five cultural sites now comprise: Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns (1991), Historic City of Ayutthaya (1991), Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (1992), The Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments (2023), and Phu Phrabat Historical Park (2024).

The three natural sites are Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries (1991), Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (2005), and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex (2021).

Phu Phrabat Historical Park – Udon Thani

With two cultural World Heritage sites, including the newly added Phu Phrabat Historical Park and the 1992-listed Ban Chiang Archaeological Site, Udon Thani shines bright as the must-visit destination for cultural tourism experiences.’Talay Bua Daeng – Udon ThaniBan Noan Kok Community of Traditional Fabric Weavers

Additionally, the province is known for its amazing sight of the ‘Red Lotus Sea’ or ‘Talay Bua Daeng’ at Nong Han Kumphawapi, Pha Khit or patterned silk weaving, and vibrant culinary scene. It has been one of the four Isan provinces featured in the MICHELIN Guide Thailand since 2023.

Udon Thani is considered the centre of logistics, transportation, and the hub of trading, which links the Upper Northeast of Thailand and the neighbouring CLMV countries. It can be reached by air and land transportation.