A national collection of palm-leaf manuscripts that Thailand nominated for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (Unesco) global list has won recognition as an entry among 64 newly included international inscriptions, the government said on Saturday.
Thailand nominated the National Collection of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts of the Phra That Phanom Chronicle, which narrates the tale of the Buddha's breastbones that were brought from India for enshrinement at Phrathat Phanom -- widely recognised as a sacred Buddhist centre in the Mekong region.
Government spokesman, Anucha Burapachaisri, said the nominated inscription, Lilit Nanthopananthasut Kham Luang, a Buddhist work penned in 1736 by Prince Narathibet of the kingdom of Ayutthaya, did not receive approval from Unesco's International Advisory Committee (IAC) to be included among this year's new items of documentary heritage on the Memory of the World.
"Thailand has sought an explanation as to why this inscription didn't win the selection so we can improve our documentation and nominate it again next time," Mr Anucha said.
The National Collection of Palm-Leaf Manuscripts of Phra That Phanom Chronicle has secured its place as Thailand's sixth Unesco-listed documentary heritage item, adding to the country's growing collection of recognised treasures.
"Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has welcomed Unesco's approval of the nomination of this inscription, which was inscribed on palm leaves in Isan, Thai and Pali script and composed using an indigenous ancient language," he said. "The work also reflects the Buddhist moral lessons, beliefs, customs and traditions that prevailed around the time the inscription was produced in 1862."