The famous Red Mill in the old town of Songkhla has long been a landmark of the province, where many people reminisce about the good old days. Through local initiatives, the mill has recently become much more than a symbol — it is a new learning centre and a model of community development that shows how bottom-up input can present a platform of knowledge to the people.
Since Dec 18, the Red Mill has served as Songkhla Smart Centre, the first phase of Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) Nakhon Songkhla, a project to promote interactive and lively learning centres in the mould of TK Park Bangkok.
The Red Mill, known as “Hub Ho Hin” in the Hokkien dialect of the locals, means “community, unity and prosperity”. It used to be a major rice mill in the southern region. The mill bought rice paddies from Ranot and Hua Sai districts, as well as from the nearby Phatthalung province, then removed the husk and sold the rice to other provinces and as far as Terengganu in Malaysia. Later it was turned into a rubber warehouse and a fishermen’s pier after smaller mills had mushroomed in Songkhla.
Now the symbolic structure has attained a new role. The new Songkhla Smart Centre is the fruit of collaboration between TK Park, Nakhon Songkhla Municipality and PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) in providing the service to promote learning of children and local people before the full-scale project opens around 2019.
Rames Promyen, acting president of the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD), which oversees TK Park, said they have so far opened 30 TK Parks in 28 provinces nationwide, including this first phase of TK Park Songkhla at the Red Mill. Despite last year’s rumour about the government’s idea to reconsider the operation of OKMD and TK Park — which was later rejected — the agency continues to develop projects in many areas.
What’s special about Songkhla Smart Centre is the local participation. Somsak Tantiserani, mayor of Nakhon Songkhla Municipality, said this project is a result of local communities’ intents to provide children and people with learning opportunities and access to a modern library with no need to construct any new buildings. The town just finished the renovation the Red Mill, which has been and is still the office of Songkhla Heritage Society, and it is a perfect location.
“Every process was approved by the local people through a public referendum in order to respond to the real concept and needs of locals to create the library with regard to social history, intellects and cultural beauty,” said Somsak.
Tatsanai Wongpisethkul, executive adviser of Thailand Knowledge Park, said TK Park Nakhon Songkhla was initiated around six years ago and was followed by three public referendums, but was delayed by the death of the previous mayor. Last year, it was restarted as a showcase. PTTEP paid for the structure and renovation work while TK Park helped with software installation and training for the learning centre and library.
The Exhibition Hall at the Red Mill.
“The owner of Hub Ho Hin Mill [Rangsi Ratanaprakarn, also the president of Songkhla Heritage Society] offered the building for the first phase of the project. The name of the place is fitting, and its open space fits many kinds of activities, besides that this mill is a must-see for anyone coming to Songkhla,” she added.
According to Tatsanai, turning community space into an integral learning process is part of the idea. Many local children used this mill as a meeting point with their parents who picked them up after studying at tuition schools on Yaring Road every Saturday. With this new centre, the waiting parents and children will be able to sit back, relax and read in the library.
Every Saturday and Sunday, both parents and children can play educational games and join handicraft workshops.
Three years from now, the full-scale TK Park Nakhon Songkhla on a nearby site will be opened and the Red Mill will remain a “Seen and Teen Space”.
Araya Ma-in, acting director of TK Park, said the agency is ready to co-operate with local communities to promote learning and reading by focusing on activities that blend art, culture, social values, ways of life, science and technology — in short, the model that has proved successful at TK Park in Bangkok. In addition, it is prepared to support the establishment of TK Park branches and give advice through planning, space management, traditional and electronic library system establishment, and book and media selection in order to ensure ultimate benefits for all communities nationwide.
According to Tatsanai, TK Park has branches of various sizes. All of them are owned and run by local communities. Many books published by TK Park for each branch have been added to each province’s local curriculum, emphasising the decentralisation of knowledge and learning.
The Red Mill/Songkhla Smart Centre now consists of the Kids Zones, Reading Park, Dream Fulfilling Space and Exhibition Hall on the ground floor, and the Lakeview Reading Zone on the first floor. The Kids Zone is the first seen when entering the centre. The Reading Park is in the industrial loft style and full of books and learning media. The Dream Fulfilling Space covering both indoor and outdoor areas of the mill serves as a venue for recreational activities for both children and parents.
During our recent visit, 12-year-old Natthapol Susuk from Thessaban 5 School in Muang Songkhla and his two friends were watching a documentary film in the library of the Lakeview Reading Zone. They said their school has computers for studies only, not for fun learning like here.
Learning about animals at the Dream Fulfilling Space.
In the Reading Park, a group of four or five boys and girls were playing an educational game pairing national flags and symbolic flowers with the names of countries. Meanwhile at the Dream Fulfilling Space and Exhibition Hall, more than 10 children were queuing to look at birds through a scope.
Each week, the centre highlights a different theme for children to learn. In mid-December, it focused on the history of Songkhla and Christmas celebrations. In the last week of December, it emphasised local history, New Year card making and storytelling. The theme of this month is knowing Asean through the region’s tales, games, puzzles and languages.
The Red Mill is in one of Thailand’s 10 major old towns in terms of art, architecture, history and way of life, with a multicultural background of Thai, Chinese and Muslim. More importantly, the local sector has been campaigning to nominate Songkhla’s Old Town as a Unesco World Heritage town.
In the nearby district of Hat Yai, a commercial centre of Songkhla province, another push in local participation has also resulted in TK Park Ban Phru. Also opened last month, it is a brainchild of Muang Ban Phru Municipality mayor Dr Worawat Chivorn-issarakul, who was impressed with TK Park at CentralWorld and worked with the agency to bring one to his town. In 2014, he won the municipality’s support to renovate and turn an old municipal office into a TK Park with a budget of around 28 million baht.
Stepping into the three-storey TK Park, anyone will forget about traditional libraries. This place is modern, open, lively and cool. Youngsters will enjoy the atmosphere and content, while the staff regularly arrange recreational activities with the help of trainers from Bangkok. The 50-seat cinema is the most modern in this area with the capability of screening 3D movies. Documentaries are screened free of charge on weekends. Also, there is a sound library for those with visual problems. Members can also use the internet and read from its online library system.
Last month’s opening of both the centres came amid news reports that the government is considering downsizing or scrapping the OKMD, which oversees Thailand Knowledge Park, Museum Siam and Thailand Creative Design Centre due to budget issues. However, Rames, Araya and Tatsanai, the three executives of OKMD and TK Park, were hopeful that evaluation results would come out positively in February.
“We never fail anywhere. The one in Yala has been in operation for nine years and expanded to four corners of the town. Many people have approached us and want to open TK Parks elsewhere. We have done it with our hearts. What we have gained is more than money. We are proud of the benefits for children and youth,” Tatsanai, the TK Park’s executive adviser, said.
- Songkhla Smart Centre is open 11am-7pm, Tue-Fri, and 9am-5pm on weekends and public holidays.
It is closed on Mondays.
- The annual membership fees are 50 baht per person for those between the ages of three and 24, 100 baht for those between the ages of 25-59, 200 baht per head for foreigners and free for senior citizens. A one-day pass costs 10 baht.
- Contact Songkhla Smart Centre on www.facebook.com/Songkhla Smart Centre or call 074-312-025 ext 138.
The Red Mill, now the Songkhla Smart Centre.
Playing an educational game.
