The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated Bangkok and Sukhothai among 66 new ‘Creative Cities, thus bringing the total number of UNESCO Creative Cities in Thailand to four.
UNESCO announced on 30 October that Bangkok was designated as a ‘Creative City of Design’ and Sukhothai as a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now totals 246 cities, including Phuket which was named a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in 2015 while Chiang Mai was named a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’ in 2017.
According to UNESCO, the member cities that make up the network are on all continents and regions with different income levels and populations.
They work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“All over the world, these cities, each in their own way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director-General Mrs. Audrey Azoulay in UNESCO’s announcement. “This favours political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young…