A series of activities linked to the khon masked dance will be held to boost public understanding of the classical performance, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said hours after the dance was added to Unesco's global cultural heritage list.
Gen Prayut said khon is a renowned Thai tradition and he was glad the performance has earned global recognition.
"From now on, the government will organise various activities associated with khon to boost participation and public knowledge of the performance," the prime minister said.
Khon dances will also be held to greet foreign guests of the government, he said, adding: "As Thailand will assume the chair of Asean next year, khon should also be performed to mark the chairmanship as well."
He said he was glad that the dance has succeeded in being listed by Unesco under this administration.
He also invited the general public to go and see the "Allegiance of Phiphek" chapter, currently being performed at the Thailand Cultural Centre until Wednesday.
Education Minister Teerakiat Jaroensettasin also welcomed the listing, adding that people, especially students, need to learn about the history of the dance and the cultural values attached to it.
Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat said it was a source of national pride that khon had made it to the Unesco listing.
He said Gen Prayut also asked people to realise the tremendous contribution by Her Majesty the Queen in keeping khon relevant.
Despite the history of khon being taught in school, the Education Ministry should find ways to encourage more people to study the performing art. However, the readiness of a sufficient number of khon teachers also needs to be taken into account, Mr Vira said.
The listing was approved at the 13th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. A Thai delegation led by Chai Nakornchai, director-general of the Culture Promotion Department, attended the meeting.
The committee decided to inscribe "Khon Masked Dance Drama in Thailand" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
It also approved cultural protection for a similar Cambodian masked dance called lakhon khol.
Mr Vira said during the session, Thai delegates requested the committee to consider listing both khon and Thai traditional massage. However, the meeting asked Thailand to choose one at this time so the delegates sought the listing for khon.
Thai traditional massage will be proposed at the next round of listing, he said.
"The Culture Ministry believes that Thai massage is a knowledge and practice that should be passed on to younger generations. It should be regarded as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity," the minister said.
According to Mr Vira, the ministry is in the process of proposing the manora dance native to the south of Thailand as well as the popular tom yam kung dish for the Unesco list.
