Royal Delegate Opens World Heritage Learning Center in Bangkok
A royal delegate opened a new learning center at a Bangkok temple dedicated to Thailand's UNESCO World Heritage sites, presenting gifts to donors and students while promoting cultural preservation and Buddhist heritage awareness.
On July 1, 2026 at 5:48 p.m., His Majesty appointed General Oranong Piyanatvachirpat to represent him in conducting a golden Buddha casting ceremony and opening the "World Heritage, Dharma Heritage" learning center at Wat Arunrajvararam in Bangkok's Bang Kok Yai district.
The royal delegate presented commemorative gifts to 60 donors supporting the temple, distributed royal gifts to 10 local residents, and presented school bags to 50 student representatives from schools in Bang Kok Yai district out of 200 total recipients. The delegate then visited the monument of King Rama I to lay flowers and light incense in tribute, making merit offerings and expressing the Thai people's loyalty to the late king.
The "World Heritage, Dharma Heritage" program is designed to conserve, restore, and promote the value of Thailand's UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites while building knowledge and awareness of heritage preservation. The program has expanded from Ayutthaya province to establish a learning center at Wat Arunrajvararam in Bangkok, serving as a hub for learning about Thailand's cultural world heritage. The exhibition presents information on the significance, history, conservation, and management of all five of Thailand's cultural heritage sites using modern display formats.
Rev. Chomphon Nitisao, assistant abbot of Wat Arunrajvararam, revealed that the learning center features four zones. Zone 1 explains what world heritage is, its types, criteria for consideration, and the world heritage map of Asia. Zone 2 displays a chronology of Buddhism, Thailand's world heritage sites, and the tentative list alongside important Asian heritage sites, featuring Thailand's five cultural world heritage locations (Ban Chiang, Phimai, Sukhothai, and Ayutthaya) and a timeline of Asian Buddhist heritage. Zone 3 highlights Wat Arunrajvararam's prang and its outstanding universal value, authenticity, and integrity compared to similar world heritage sites. Zone 4 covers world heritage and dharma heritage management practices by the sangha, including Buddhist learning activities in heritage areas such as Ayutthaya and other temples.
