The Department of Fine Arts is preparing to open the permanent exhibition "Mahathat of Nakhon Si Thammarat" at the National Museum of Nakhon Si Thammarat to celebrate the new World Heritage site.
On 24 July, Mr. Panombut Chantrachot, Director-General of the Department of Fine Arts, revealed that the department, in cooperation with Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, is preparing for the occasion when Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan will be considered for World Heritage registration at the 48th ordinary session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea. The session will consider this on the afternoon of 25 July. They are organizing celebrations to mark this site as Thailand's ninth World Heritage site, the sixth cultural heritage site of historical value and a center of faith in Buddhism in the region, and the first World Heritage site located in a southern province.
The Department of Fine Arts is pleased to celebrate with the people of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Mr. Pipat Ratchakitprakarn, along with all sectors of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, will prepare grand festivities including almsgiving to monks, Buddhist chanting ceremonies, collective Nora dance homage to the stupa, and a light and sound show in front of the main vihara. A large projector screen will be installed for the public to closely watch the live broadcast of the announcement results.
The Director-General of the Department of Fine Arts stated that the department will officially open a permanent exhibition titled "The Mahathat of Nakhon Si Thammarat" inside the National Museum of Nakhon Si Thammarat to celebrate the World Heritage registration and honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great on 5 December 2027. The exhibition will open on 26 July as the inaugural day.
The exhibition presents stories about the important Buddhist site of Nakhon Si Thammarat through artifacts, art objects, ancient documents, and contemporary educational media. It gathers over 100 valuable artifacts, including those excavated and loaned from Wat Phra Mahathat, displayed with modern technology to vividly connect historical narratives such as the Buddha's relics in Thailand, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, the legend of the construction of the Mahathat Chedi of Nakhon Si Thammarat, site location and layout hypotheses, land and building donations (Kalpana) to the temple, and major archaeological operations carried out in 2009 and 2016. Visitors are invited to join the free opening celebration of the World Heritage exhibition.