The army plans to build a museum celebrating the life and works of the seven former kings whose giant statues tower over Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Him district.
Army officers led by outgoing commander-in-chief Gen Theerachai Nakvanich attend a ceremony on Monday marking the first anniversary of Rajabhakti Park in Hua Hin district in Prachuap Khiri Khan. (Photos by Pattanapong Hirunard)
Outgoing army chief Gen Theerachai Nakvanich was briefed on the plan's progress during a visit to the park on Monday to pay homage to the royal statues on the first anniversary of the park.
After the ceremony, the Rajabhakti Park administration committee brought him up to date on the progress of the implementation of the plan.
The museum, part of the second-stage of the development of Rajabhakti Park, willl be built on a 2,200-square-metre area around the base of the statues of the former Thai kings. It will include an exhibition hall.
The park committee has commissioned faculty of arts lecturers and other experts at Chulalongkorn University to research and prepare a report on the works and histories of the seven kings. They are King Ramkhamhaeng of the Sukhothai period, King Naresuan and King Narai of the Ayutthaya period, King Taksin of the Thonburi period, and King Rama I, King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn of the Rattanakosin period.
The report is expected to be finished by the end of 2016.
The Rajabhakti Park committee has also invited experts from the Fine Arts Department, lecturers of the faculty of architecture of Chulalongkorn University and the researchers to select the designer and constructor of the exhibition hall. The design is to be completed in about one year with a budget of 120 million baht.
The exhibition hall is to feature the works and histories of the seven former kings.
It is intended to give visitors an understanding of the importance and the role of the monarchy in the defence, restoration and development of the Thai nation during different periods and with different strategies.
For example, in the exhibition hall there will be a display showing a diplomatic delegation led by French ambassador Chevalier de Chaumon presenting the first message from King Louis XIV to King Narai the Great in 1685.
Electronic translations in foreign languages will be available to help visitors understand Thai history more conveniently.
In the future, the Rajabhakti Park committee plans to develop a website as a source of information on Thai history.
Gen Theerachai said that over the past year a large pond and large fountain, along with a solar power system, had been installed at the park with help from donors. No army budget funds were used.
He hoped Gen Chalermchai Sitthisart, who will succeed him as army chief from Oct 1, would continue with the development of Rajabhakti Park, which is the army's property.