National Planetarium To Be Built In Chiang Mai

[Jai Dee]

National Planetarium in Chiang Mai

The Ministry of Science and Technology will build a national planetarium with Asia’s largest camera TV.

Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthawong, the Science and Technology Minister, led a group of media members to a seminar to acknowledge the National Planetarium project. The National Astronomical Research Institute and Doi Inthanon National Park are cooperating to construct this planetarium in Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai province, and it is expected to be completed by the end of this year. In addition, the largest camera TV in Asia will also be installed by the year 2009. The national planetarium will demonstrate Thailand’s astrological development to the international community.

At the same time, Assoc. Prof. Boonraksa Sunthorntham, the Director of the National Astronomical Research Institute, said the location of the national planetarium is on the highest point of Thailand at 2,565 meters above the normal sea level. He said the TV camera will broadcast images from space to the internet for the general public to see.

The planetarium will have an information and training center at Doi Inthanon National Park. Officials will help maintain the planetarium and preventing the site from affecting the surrounding natural environment.

The camera TV is being made in Australia for two year with a total budget of 242 million baht.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 February 2007

[Johpa]

National Planetarium in Chiang Mai

The Ministry of Science and Technology will build a national planetarium with Asia’s largest camera TV.

Prof. Dr. Yongyuth Yuthawong, the Science and Technology Minister, led a group of media members to a seminar to acknowledge the National Planetarium project. The National Astronomical Research Institute and Doi Inthanon National Park are cooperating to construct this planetarium in Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai province, and it is expected to be completed by the end of this year. In addition, the largest camera TV in Asia will also be installed by the year 2009. The national planetarium will demonstrate Thailand’s astrological development to the international community.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 21 February 2007

And I am certain that the international community will be much impressed with Thailand's astrological prowess. I hear there is a large market in Burma for such aptitude.

Chaiyo!

[JuniorExPat]

Does pollution compromise the efficiency of telescopes?

JxP

[Austhaied]

The Thais should be able to relate to the new planetarium as they are very good at stargazing, on the roads anyway..

[ovenman]

I'm confused: is a planetarium being built or a telescope being installed? If the former, why would it need to be constructed on top of Doi Inthanon? A telescope on Doi Inthanon I could understand...

[Johpa]

I'm confused: is a planetarium being built or a telescope being installed? If the former, why would it need to be constructed on top of Doi Inthanon? A telescope on Doi Inthanon I could understand...

Why the news release clearly states several times that it is not a telescope but that it is to be Asia's largest camera TV. What exactly a camera TV is, I am not exactly sure. But for some reason it needs to be built atop an isolated mountain as does of course a Thai planetarium that would set itself apart from other planetariums in the world, which are most often located adjacent to museums.

[Puwa]

Sounds good to me. As usual, the news report has probably botched something up, or maybe lost some of the technical terms in translation. Maybe the plan is to build something for scientific purposes, maybe the plan is to build something for the general public. Either way, it could be something useful for the country. If it is for the public, I'd think that many of us would welcome an educational tourist attraction, especially in the north. Now if we could only get the Culture Ministry to build a decent museum or two in Bangkok.

[richard10365]

Soon there will be sci-fi shows in Thailand like there are in the USA.

Can you imagine a Thai version of Star Wars where the main character is from a small rice farm who has to save a karaoke girl from disaster? His x-wing fighter is a souped up rice burner with no mirrors and covered with florescent lights. The bad guy is an old drunk Puu Yai who only does business for the village when there is tea money involved. The Han Solo of the group would be a white haired older farang with a 21 year old girl friend for a side kick.

I think it would be a big hit here in Thailand.

[Austhaied]

Soon there will be sci-fi shows in Thailand like there are in the USA.

Can you imagine a Thai version of Star Wars where the main character is from a small rice farm who has to save a karaoke girl from disaster? His x-wing fighter is a souped up rice burner with no mirrors and covered with florescent lights. The bad guy is an old drunk Puu Yai who only does business for the village when there is tea money involved. The Han Solo of the group would be a white haired older farang with a 21 year old girl friend for a side kick.

I think it would be a big hit here in Thailand.

I think i seen that on Thai TV last night..Lots of screaming and pulling of hair and stuff..Riveting..

[cdnvic]

Does pollution compromise the efficiency of telescopes?

JxP

Somewhat, but planetariums are just 360 degree cinemas. Observatorys are where you get the telescopes.

[endure]

They already have a planetarium on Sukhumvit in Bangkok and the CMU Sirnidhorn Observatory on Doi Inthanon.

[chanchao]

Great, another excuse to dodge the national park fee. "Just going to the planetarium."

But if they don't fall for that then I still have imaginary friends in Mae Chaem.

Edited February 22, 2007 by chanchao

[Puwa]

They already have a planetarium on Sukhumvit in Bangkok and the CMU Sirnidhorn Observatory on Doi Inthanon.

Who is "they"?