Another great piece of news this month for Thai citizens, and this one comes with a view. There are certain places that seem too cinematic to be real. The Phra Prang at Wat Arun is one of them. Catch it at dusk, as the Chao Phraya turns from brown to bronze, and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was CGI. But this month, the towering Khmer-style spire – stitched together with porcelain shards, seashells and sheer devotion – got something even more official than a sunset Instagram story. It’s been added to UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.
In bureaucratic speak, this means ‘not quite there yet.’ But let’s not be coy – the letter came signed by UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Culture, praising Thailand’s submission and confirming it ticks every sacred, historical and aesthetic box.
Locals call it the Temple of Dawn, but it’s not just about the light. Rising 82 metres into the Bangkok sky, the central prang is said to mirror Mount Meru, the mythical axis of the Buddhist universe. While other landmarks go heavy on the gold, Wat Arun is all about texture: floral mosaics made from broken teacups, painstakingly embedded by hand – a kind of architectural patchwork, delicate but defiant.
This isn’t heritage that’s been sealed off in a velvet rope museum sense. Wat Arun is very much alive: monks walk barefoot past tourists in bucket hats, and locals still pray beneath the spire as riverboats honk in the background. It stands at the confluence of devotion and daily chaos, and that’s what makes it Thai.
Plans are already underway to preserve the site with proper archaeological care and – importantly – input from people who actually live around it. Because when it comes to world heritage, it’s not enough to just save the bricks. You have to keep the spirit intact.
This nomination isn’t just about a building. It’s about showing the world that Thai culture can be grand without being showy, spiritual without turning its back on modern life. And if the prang does make it onto the full World Heritage list, it won’t just be a win for preservation – it’ll be proof that something distinctly Thai can stand tall in a global spotlight, seashells and all.