Thailand is celebrating a new milestone on the global cultural stage, with Nan and Songkhla officially named as members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) for 2025.
Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised announced the achievement on Saturday, congratulating both provinces on their inclusion by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
This year, UNESCO welcomed 58 cities from 41 countries into the global network, which celebrates creativity across eight fields — Crafts and Folk Art, Literature, Gastronomy, Music, Architecture, Design, Film, and Media Arts.
Nan was designated in the category of Crafts and Folk Art under the theme “Artisan–Community–Nature,” reflecting its character as a “living old city,” the minister said.
“Traditional crafts of Nan are not merely for museums, but they tell stories of local life,” Ms. Sabeeda noted. Among its celebrated crafts are Tai Lue woven textiles, Iu Mien silverwork, bamboo handicrafts, the ancient Bo Suak kilns, and the renowned “Whisper of Love” mural at Wat Phumin.
Songkhla, meanwhile, received recognition in the field of Gastronomy. The southern province was presented under the theme of a “city of two seas” — the Songkhla Lake and the Gulf of Thailand — showcasing its rich culinary landscape.
The province’s diverse ecology, combining sea, palm groves, and rice fields, has shaped its distinctive cuisine and established it as a hub for local ingredients and traditional dishes.
“The recognition was a milestone that affirms the strength and uniqueness of Thailand’s cultures, aligning with the nation’s creative economy policy,” Ms. Sabeeda said.
She also extended congratulations to other ASEAN cities newly added to the list: Dumaguete and Quezon from the Philippines; Ho Chi Minh City from Vietnam; Malang and Ponorogo from Indonesia; and Kuala Lumpur from Malaysia.
Launched in 2004, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network now encompasses 408 cities across more than 100 countries worldwide.
