Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised yesterday (Nov 1) announced the recognition by the United Nations Educational, Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and congratulated the two cities, reports the Bangkok Post.
UNESCO has added 58 cities from 41 countries around the world into the network this year, spanning eight creative fields - Crafts and Folk Art, Literature, Gastronomy, Music, Architecture, Design, Film and Media Arts.
Nan was designated in Crafts and Follk Art. Thailand had submitted the province under the theme “Artisan-Community-Nature,” reinforcing its identity as a “living old city,” Ms Sabeeda said.
“Traditional crafts of Nan are not merely for museums, but they tell stories of local life,” she said. Some highly recognised are such as Tai Lue woven textiles, Iu Mien silverwork, bamboo handicrafts, ancient Bo Suak klins and the iconic “Whisper of Love” mural at Wat Phumin.
As for Songkhla, the southern border province was honoured in the Gastronomy. It was submitted with its character of being the city of two seas - the Songkhla Lake and the Gulf of Thailand.
The landscape creates a rich ecology combining palm trees, rice field and sea together, celebrated as an ingredient hub which defines the province’s culinary heritage.
“The recognition was a milestone that affirms the strength and uniqueness of Thailand’s cultures, aligning with the nation’s creative economy policy,” the minister said.
She also extended congratulations to other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cities recognised in the list. They are Dumaguete and Quezon from the Philippines; Ho Chi Minh from Vietnam; Malang and Ponorogo from Indonesia; and Kuala Lumpur from Malaysia.
The Unesco Creative Cities Network, launched in 2004, now includes 408 cities across more than 100 countries.