BANGKOK, July 26, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A centuries-old monastery in southern Thailand is the country's latest cultural landmark to be inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List, which will aid in the site's conservation, the government said Sunday.

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province is Thailand's ninth World Heritage site, but its first in the nation's southern region, the Thai foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Its inscription will further strengthen cooperation at both the national and local levels in the conservation, protection and sustainable management of the World Heritage Site," the ministry said.

Officials and monks marked the recognition by UNESCO at the monastery on Saturday by chanting blessings and banging a gong, local media reported.

Also known as the Phra Mahathat monastery, the site has "served as a major regional Buddhist centre since its founding in the 8th century", according to UNESCO, the United Nations' cultural agency.

The temple property includes towering grey stupas, a massive reclining Buddha statue, and rows of standing and seated gilded Buddha monuments, as well as various ornate representations of guardian deities.

Located in peninsular Thailand between the Pacific and Indian oceans, the monastery was influenced by diverse religions and architectural styles including Brahmanism, Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism from parts of India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar, UNESCO said on its website.

"These influences have been integrated into its religious buildings, rituals and cultural traditions," the agency added.

UNESCO heritage listings are thought to boost countries' tourism, a key economic sector for Thailand which has yet to return to pre-Covid-19 visitor levels.

Total tourist arrivals dropped more than three percent in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2025, according to the latest tourism ministry figures.

The Historic City of Ayutthaya, the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries, and the Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments are among Thailand's eight other UNESCO heritage sites.