King Mongkut Science Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan
King Mongkut Science Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan
Prachuap Khiri Khan is a Thai province south of Bangkok, located on the Gulf of Thailand. If you type the province name in the search box of this blog, several interesting articles for (tourist) visitors will appear on the screen. Sure, Prachuap Khiri Khan has beaches, but not all of them are as well known as those near Hua Hin.
For example, there is the beach of Waghor Bay (also called Wa Ko), about 12 kilometers south of the city of Prachuap Khiri Khan, where the King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology is located. More about this scientific park later, but it is interesting why this institute is located there.
Origin
One of the great passions of King Mongkut (Rama IV), who reigned from 1851 to 1868, was astronomy. He had calculated two years before the event that a total solar eclipse would occur on August 18, 1868, including the time and place where that eclipse could best be observed. So that was in Waghor Bay. King Mongkut had a large pavilion built for observation and he invited a large party to experience the unprecedented natural phenomenon of a solar eclipse with him. That group consisted of up to 1000 people, from family members, domestic and foreign astronomers, diplomats to other guests. Ironically, the whole spectacle would lead to King Mongkut's death. The pavilion was built in a swampy area with many mosquitoes. The king contracted malaria there and died six weeks later on October 1, 1868. The pavilion was no longer used and fell into disrepair.
Waghor Aquarium, part of King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology in Prachuab Kirikhan (Supanee Prajunthong / Shutterstock.com)
Beyond the Coast
For the Bangkok Post, a reporter went to Prachuap Khiri Kan and published an interesting article last week called “Beyond the Coast”, see www.bangkokpost.com/travel/2141527/beyond-the-coast In that article a more extensive story about the observation of the solar eclipse and about the foundation of the science park. The facilities of this park are supported with beautiful photos.
King Mongkut Memorial Park of Science and Technology
After the then Thai government wanted to honor King Mongkut's scientific knowledge in 1982, he was named the Father of Science in Thailand. The government then also designated August 18 as National Science Day.
In 1993, the Ministry of Education announced the establishment of this educational institute on a piece of land the size of 500 rai in honor of King Mongkut and in response to the policy of providing learning opportunities for students, youth and people across the country in science, technology , astronomy, space and environment.
Aiming to be the knowledge center of science, the park has built several facilities to educate visitors, especially children, about science and life on Earth. The park houses a planetarium, a seven-story structure built in a spiral design. It displays photos and information about the history of astronomy, space and science along the wall from the ground to the upper floors.
The planetarium is also connected to an exhibition hall of King Mongkut. His life-size sculpture stands at the entrance along with models of the tools he used to calculate the eclipse. Also housed in the science park is the Waghor Aquarium.
For more details about this science park, go to: www.waghor.go.th/newweb/camp/index.php
Source: Bangkok Post/Wikipedia
About this blogger
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Bert Gringhuis (1945), born and raised in Almelo in the beautiful Twente. Later lived for many years in Amsterdam and Alkmaar, working in export for various companies. I first came to Thailand in 1980 and immediately fell in love with the country. Been back many times since then and moved to Thailand after my (early) retirement as a widower. I have been living there for 22 years now with my somewhat younger Thai lady Poopae.
My first experiences in Thailand as a kind of newsletter sent to family, friends and acquaintances, which later appeared under the name Gringo on Thailandblog. Many, many articles followed those first stories and that has grown into an almost daily hobby.
In the Netherlands still an avid footballer and football referee, but the years are starting to tell and in Thailand still avid, but the pool billiards is really of inferior quality, ha ha!
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