ICOMOS experts completed a 6-day field assessment of Chiang Mai's historic urban plan (3–8 August 2026), evaluating seven temples and one archaeological site across four key dimensions: water management and city layout; living Buddhist heritage and local practices; extra-mural temple wisdom; and sacred landscape linkages. The assessment focuses on Chiang Mai's sophisticated 730-year-old city design—distinguished by strategic zoning of inner temples (spiritual center) and outer monasteries (learning and meditation hubs)—as a case for new UNESCO World Heritage cultural inscription. Clarifications will be submitted to ICOMOS by late 2026, with formal decision expected mid-2027. Temples like Wat Umong emphasize balancing tourism development with preservation of monastic practice through disciplined zone separation.