The National Reform Council (NRC) has agreed to push Thailand’s bid to make the Andaman Sea a World Heritage Site.
The NRC on Monday reviewed a study on the proposal to turn the Andaman Sea into a World Heritage Site which was submitted by the committee in charge of natural resources and environmental reform.
Committee chairman Pramote Maiklad said that the success of including the Andaman on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites will be beneficial for Thailand, citing that the sea has a rich ecological system and is abundant in biodiversity. It is also a major marine attraction, contributing more than THB300 billion in tourism revenue to the country each year.
After hours of debate, in which most NRC members showed their support for the proposal, the council voted 187 to 10, with 11 abstentions, to endorse the proposed plan and to ask the committee to prepare the study report before presenting it to the Cabinet.
It is hoped that the official submission of the request to list the Andaman Sea as a World Heritage Site to UNESCO will be possible by next July, state media reported
Photo: Ethan Crowley
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