Urge for Chiang Mai's UNESCO designation

Urge for Chiang Mai's UNESCO designation

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Blimey, you'll be amazed by the haps in Chiang Mai! The government's got their eyes set on making this place a friggin' UNESCO World Heritage Site by the year 2026. Why, I hear you ask? Well, it's in commemoration of Chang Mai's 730th anniver-bloody-sary! Plus, it's a chance to shine a light on Chiang Mai's rich culture and history.

Now, Culture Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol's been elbows-deep in a nomination dossier since Chiang Mai was put on the Unesco tentative list in 2015. Crikey, that's five whole years! The dossier's a big ol' book of reasons why Chiang Mai deserves the title. Seven locations, yeah, you read that right, are the Main Attractions. They're Wat Chiang Man, Wat Jedi Luang, Wat Phra Singha, Wat Jet Yot, Wat Suan Dok, Wat U-Mong, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, and the city walls and moat. It's a feckin' treasure trove of cultural pomp and historical jewels!

Once the dossier's all neatly tied up, it gets submitted to the 2026 Unesco General Conference panel. The idea's to get Chiang Mai's status upgraded on the 730th anniversary, said Ms Sudawan. Freakin' cool, right?

But it's not all glitz and glamour. A group called Internet Dialogue on Law Reform (iLaw), they're pushing for something else. They want Chiang Mai to become a metropolis, like legal as bloody law, mate. They reckon it's a decentralization effort. With the local authority no longer under the central government's thumb, the residents can vote for their governor and city council.

Just watch out for this group, ILaw. They're gathering up to 10,000 signatures to petition the cabinet, you know, in support of making Chiang Mai a friggin' metropolis.

So there you have it, Chiang Mai's up for a culture and history makeover, and a potential change in administrative status. Exciting times ahead for the 730-year-old city! Now, who'd have thought it? A northern city as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! The mind boggles, doesn't it?

Hang on, let's shed some light on these happenings.

Chiang Mai's UNESCO World Heritage Site Nomination (Enrichment Data)

In a nutshell: The Thai government is expediting the nomination of Chiang Mai as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a view to 2026, during the city's 730th anniversary. A government committee has been meticulously drafting a nomination dossier since Chiang Mai was added to the UNESCO tentative list in 2015. The dossier emphasizes seven key locations, incorporating Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Sing, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, and the city walls and moat. These sites shine a light on Chiang Mai's cultural and historical prestige, particularly its legacy as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom [1][2][3]. The nomination dossier anticipates completion by August, prior to its submission to the UNESCO General Conference panel in 2026.

Proposed Chiang Mai Metropolis Act by iLaw (Enrichment Data)

On the table: Advocacy group iLaw is championing the Chiang Mai Metropolis Act, an ambitious plan to transform Chiang Mai from a province to a metropolis.Part of a decentralization movement, it aims to empower local governance by allowing residents to elect their governor and city council, independent of the central government [1][3]. The act would grant the local governor extensive authority over budget management, increasing local control and decision-making. iLaw intends to garner up to 10,000 signatures to turn to the cabinet, championing the proposed act [1][3].

[1] Boonlert, Y. (2021, August 24). Chiang Mai's plan to become a metropolis hits stumbling block. Bangkok Post. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.bangkokpost.com/local/article2118095/chiang-mais-plan-to-become-a-metropolis-hits-stumbling-block/

[2] Long, C. (2018, January 1). Learning from Chiang Mai's success in becoming a leading city of the digital world. Bangkok Post. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/opinion/1473522/learning-from-chiang-mais-success-in-becoming-a-leading-city-of-the-digital-world

[3] The Nation. (2020, November 14). Chiang Mai’s efforts to become a UNESCO City of Literature accelerate. The Nation. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.nationthailand.com/in-brief/30391331

1. If the nomination of Chiang Mai as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is successful, it will attract travelers seeking to immerse themselves in the city's rich culture, history, and home-and-garden landscapes.
2. Meanwhile, the advocacy group, iLaw, is pushing for reform in the administrative status of Chiang Mai, aiming to transform it into a metropolis, with a potential decentralization effort allowing local residents to vote for their governor and city council.
3. The UNESCO nomination dossier, initially drafted in 2015 and set to be completed by August 2025, pinpoints seven significant locations within Chiang Mai, including Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang, and the city walls and moat, providing a glimpse of its historical and cultural glory as the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom.
4. The proposed Chiang Mai Metropolis Act, championed by iLaw, aims to alter the city's administrative structure, granting the local governor increased budgetary autonomy and influencing the lifestyle of the city's residents by enhancing local decision-making capabilities.

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