The Director-General of the Department of Cultural Promotion, Kowit Phakamas, announced that Thailand plans to suggest Muay Thai and the yearly Loy Krathong festival be included in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. By March next year, the Cabinet is expected to approve the proposal. But the UNESCO review procedure for these kinds of applications usually takes three to five years. Four more aspects of Thai culture are currently being considered by UNESCO: the Songkran celebration, Thai massage, traditional Khon mask dance, and folk-dance play Nora. The intangible cultural heritage list is anticipated to be announced at a meeting in Botswana on 7 December 2023.