On 12 December 2019 at Bogota, Republic of Colombia, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICS-ICH), at its 14th Session, inscribed “Nuad Thai, Traditional Thai Massage” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (RL) under UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003. 

 

The inscription will significantly contribute to the international recognition of Nuad Thai’s value and importance as the intangible cultural heritage on healthcare, and also promote the learning, access, development and safeguarding of Nuad Thai for the next generations. 

 

The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was endorsed by the UNESCO General Conference on 17 October 2003 in Paris, with the objectives to safeguard the practices, expressions, knowledge and skills which are recognised as part of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of a community or group. The Convention also aims to build respect and recognition for the ICH from the local to international level, and to promote international cooperation in safeguarding them. ICH could be in the forms of verbal expression, language, art performance, social practices, religious ceremonies, celebrations and handicrafts. 

 

Thailand became party to the Convention on 10 September 2016. At present, Thailand has inscribed 2 listings in the RL, which are “Khon, masked dance drama in Thailand” (2018) and “Nuad Thai, traditional Thai massage” (2019).