The Thai-Malay Peninsula has been significant since ancient times due to its rich land and water resources, which have sustained continuous human settlement. Its geographical position as a landmass extending into the sea has also made it a geopolitically strategic area, serving as a transit point for various groups from different regions worldwide and fostering trade, social interaction, and cultural exchange over centuries. For example, it is a society that coexists amidst diversity in folklore, linguistic and cultural traditions, and gender roles.

Phra Borommathat Nakhon Si Thammarat and Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan are esteemed heritage sites in the Thai-Malay Peninsula, possessing importance at both local and global scales. Efforts are presently being made to propose Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, adhering to the criteria established by UNESCO. The initiative commenced through collaboration between the government and private sectors, becoming apparent when the Governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat endorsed Provincial Order No. 904/2522, which established a working group to nominate Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan as a World Heritage Site on April 1, 2009. Subsequently, ongoing efforts have been implemented to bolster this initiative.

Subsequently, during the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on June 21, 2013, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan was added to the Tentative List, marking the preliminary stage of the nomination process. The following steps involve the compilation of the nomination document (Stage 2), evaluation by advisory committees (Stage 3), and the final submission for consideration by the World Heritage Committee (Stage 4).

In 2025, a significant milestone in the nomination process was achieved when the documentation was submitted to the National Committee on the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Thai government subsequently approved the submission, completing the national-level process. The nomination proposal for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan is based on two key criteria from the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (OG) 2024:
   (ii) exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
   (vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)

Throughout the process of preparing the nomination document, extensive research and public awareness campaigns have been conducted, highlighting the site’s significance at the Thai-Malay Peninsula, regional, and international levels. Key issues include the interpretation of its cultural value and linguistic translation to bridge local and global understanding and alignment with the OG 2024, reflecting ongoing debates on World Heritage concepts.

In light of this important turning point in the nomination process, the Research Center on Women and Social Security has organized an international conference to examine these matters in further depth. The conversations will address areas including diversity, gender roles, folklore, language, and translation, promoting enhanced academic involvement and knowledge dissemination.