A historic merit-making event: Prime Minister Anutin enshrines the Sri Lankan Buddha relics at the Government House before delivering them to Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
On 26 February 2026, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, presided over the ceremony to enshrine Buddha relics from Sri Lanka temporarily at the Santimaitri Building. The event was attended by the Cabinet and a large gathering of Buddhist devotees, who participated with deep reverence to celebrate the Thai-Sri Lankan Buddhist ties that have lasted more than 800 years.
The Buddha relics brought on this occasion are rare and unique, matching the description in the Mahaparinibbana Sutta: they have three colors in one relic — gold, silver, and ivory. These relics were brought from Yathilagala Rajamaha Vihara, an ancient significant temple in Sri Lanka. Additionally, Ms. Supachai Suthammanphun, Minister of Commerce, brought a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree from Anuradhapura, considered the oldest tree in the world, to be planted as a memorial to the flourishing of Sri Lankan Buddhism on Thai soil.
The relics will be enshrined temporarily at the Government House and Wat Pho before being permanently installed at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat on 28 February. This will mark the 1,250th anniversary of the Nakhon Si Thammarat stupa and support its nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status. The government invites the public to participate in the grand merit-making ceremonies, including the cloth procession up the stupa and almsgiving to 11,250 monks during the Magha Puja festival in Nakhon Si Thammarat from 27 February to 1 March.