It's not just parks and playing fields for children that Bangkok lacks, there is also a severe dearth of educational recreation facilities such as libraries and museums to exercise young minds.
An artist’s impressions of the new design for Bangkok Children’s Discovery Museum in Chatuchak district show a clean, modern concept intended to appeal to the young—and not so young. The museum is due to undergo a massive renovation and be ready for reopening early next year. At left is the museum’s main entrance, middle is the Dino Detective zone and the Junior Kitchen zone is at right.
This was no better emphasised than when the Bangkok Children's Discovery Museum in Chatuchak district closed two years ago. It was a sad reflection of the difficulties of organising recreational and edu-tainment facilities for the young.
Realising a facility like this is sorely needed, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is attempting to revive the museum. With what it hopes will be improved management and a massive renovation, the museum is expected to be reopened early next year.
Children's Discovery Museum 1, located in the Queen Sirikit Park in Chatuchak district, was established following Her Majesty Queen Sirikit's address which highlighted the importance of learning for children.
The BMA opened the museum on Aug 17, 2002, which also marked the commemoration of Her Majesty the Queen's 60th birthday. The four-building museum was built on 7 rai of land.
The concept behind Children's Discovery Museum 1 was to encourage children to gain knowledge from hands-on self-learning while experiencing the exhibitions it had to offer.
It was the first learning centre for children aged one to 12 in Thailand and Asean under the concept of "Learning for Young Creative Minds".
Encouraged by the concept, the BMA set up Children's Discovery Museum 2 in Thung Kru district in the south of Bangkok in 2007 with the same aims that also included disadvantaged people and the general public. It was considered Bangkok's first fully integrated family centre for learning.
Poor management forced the temporary closure of Children's Discovery Museum 1 in 2010, while Museum 2 was unable to run at full operational capacity.
"The problem is that we do not have a specific organisation which specialises in children and youth issues to run the museums," said Manit Techaphichok, director of the BMA's Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.
"In the past, the Bangkok Children's Discovery Museum Foundation supervised the museum in Queen Sirikit Park, but later employed Rakluke Company to manage it."
For some reason the firm could not cope and handed back management to the department. "Finally it had to shut its doors," Mr Manit said.
The BMA decided to set up a working committee to study how the two museums could be managed. It concluded that the two sites needed to be re-developed and modernised to better serve children.
For the Chatuchak museum, the department will seek 70 million baht to build new structures and spruce up its surroundings. The contractor for the work will be selected via electronic bidding, Mr Manit said.
"If everything goes as planned, the museum with its facelift will reopen in February next year, while the Thung Kru museum will be ready for a full-scale reopening in December," he said.
As for managing the museums, the BMA is looking at three options. Either the BMA does it, it gives a concession to a private firm or hires a company to run the museums.
"The third option is the most viable one. The BMA cannot run the museums on its own because it lacks the necessary staff and the required skills. The second option would be hard to pursue because the private firm would need to collect entrance fees," Mr Manit said.
For the Chatuchak museum, Plan Motif Co has been commissioned to draw up a new layout and structure, Mr Manit said.
The museum will be rearranged with a number of new zones added.
The Big Backyard zone, for example, will be decorated with artificial clouds, flowers and birds.
The Rainbow Town zone will resemble a town, consisting of a small park, roads, telephone booths and shops.
The Dino Detective zone will lay out the atmosphere of the inside of a cave with fossils embedded in the grounds and walls.
As for outdoor activities, the Water Play zone will comprise a large fountain where children can have fun with water jets and some splashing.
"Every year, Children's Discovery Museum in Queen Sirikit Park welcomed up to 100,000 visitors.
"With the new renovations, we expect the number to be much higher," Mr Manit said.