My thoughts on the matter? I believe that Chiang Mai deserves the status - and that it could be a driver in ensuring the long term future of the Old City and Moat. One of the tragedies of the last century was how much of the walled area was lost, for example.

For all the moans about CM planning - some deserved, not all - the city council has stuck by the policy of not allowing high-rise buildings within the moat - and that's a plus. On the downside, far too much concrete has been poured in the area - with some seriously horrible buildings blighting the Old City. The Old City should be boutique city, with residential use. Walking around the Old City, you can get lost in a maze of side soi's and lanes - and come across some stunning little Temples and old houses. That's setting aside ( and how can you ) the beautiful, historical Temples and Stupas within the area.

One thing that I don't want to see is the Old City becoming a museum. To me, the fact that it's been continually inhabited since the days of King Mengrai, with the exception of the abandonment period when the Burmese moved in - strengthens it's claim for inclusion as a World Heritage site. I can see a future where any planning consent will be judged to a higher standard, and who knows - maybe they'll do the Old City a favour and remove the unsightly cabling.

These are the kinds of things that can follow the UNESCO application being granted. Anyone that knows and loves Chiang mai would celebrate the preservation and improvement of the Old City.

The one thing I've wondered, and not being an aquatic or civil engineer I don't know - would it be possible to pump water through the moat area, and attempt to clean it up? I've heard that some older buildings have their sewage outflows direct into the moat, whether it's true I don't know - but I would love to see the moat clean and alive with fish. That would be a great gift to the community -

It's going to take a lot of work, and a lot of investment - but here's hoping that the Old City gets UNESCO status, and that Chiang Mai manages the tricky task of preserving the old while accommodating the new.