The department is set to hold a press conference at the Thailand Cultural Centre on Thursday with a live broadcast of Unesco’s announcement from Paris.

The event can also be watched live via the department’s Facebook page from 1pm.

(Related story: Thailand waits for its iconic Nora dance art to get Unesco recognition)

A chairman of Narathiwat’s Nora group told reporters that people in the South have a strong bond with the traditional dance drama as it encourages good deeds and is also a ritual to worship ancestors, besides a tool to strengthen communities.