The Bangkok Planetarium -- along with the prime minister's chair and tanks -- has been one of the capital's most popular destinations on Children's Day for many years. After 50 years in operation, the planetarium recently underwent its first major facelift; the ceremony to unveil it was held on Tuesday, just in time for Children's Day tomorrow.
Bangkok's long-time astronomical centre is ready to beckon and captivate a new generation of children with the universe's mystical lure. The galaxies -- near or far, far away -- can be explored right in the heart of Bangkok.
Known by Thais as thongfah jamlong (literally, "a simulated sky"), the Bangkok Planetarium -- Thailand's first and oldest -- was opened in 1964. Generations of schoolchildren have passed through its door to stargaze at Aquarius, Cassiopeia and other constellations, and nebulae projected on the dome, with BTS Ekamai making the trip to the place even more convenient in the last decade.
The new look should hopefully stir up interest once again. Stepping inside the planetarium today will awake both nostalgic childhood memories, as well as inspire new-found fascination. The renovation, undertaken with a 95 million baht budget, began in May 2015 and lasted for six months. The dome's interior has been vastly transformed and all of the old chairs have been taken out and replaced with a new set of 280 leather seats as comfortable as those in high-end cinemas. The walls are now decorated with lively colours to fit the theme of Aurora -- the mystical polar light.
"The team wants it to feel alive here, like a rebirth. We want everyone to know the Bangkok Planetarium has been reborn," said Takorn Rattanakamonporn, CEO of Ditto Thailand, who oversaw the renovation. He further revealed that the decision to renovate has been a long-time coming.
"Bangkok Planetarium is known by all Thais. Every day, different schools -- in and out of Bangkok -- book the place to come for excursions. Everyone has wanted to improve it for a long time. The budget, sadly, just didn't reach," he said. Everyone was elated, therefore, when the budget came at a timely occasion -- half-a-century after the planetarium's establishment.
"This place has always been fully booked, even with the old system," said Takorn. "After the renovation, I think it will be even more fascinating for kids. We hope this place can inspire and fuel their imagination."
At the centre of the dome, the star projector, a Carl Zeiss Mark IV from Germany, still sits beautifully despite the test of time. The vintage model -- under constant maintenance -- is still in working order and requires trained professionals to operate. This projector has been the original icon of the Bangkok Planetarium since its grand opening.
"It's a rare item that functions. Around the world, not many projectors in this model are still in operation," Takorn said.
To improve the planetarium's versatility, two Christie projectors have been installed alongside the Carl Zeiss Mark IV. The three projectors now work together to deliver both full-dome star projection and an educational film during the 45-minute session. A fusion of old-school innovation and modern technology.
The Christie Boxer projector offers 4K resolution and is equipped with a specialised fish-eye lens. The system operates under Digistar 5 software which enables the full-dome, seamless projection with auto blending and alignment of images from the two projectors.
To make sure visitors get the most out of their experience, the Bangkok Planetarium runs on an updated database of information from Nasa.
All astronomical data that has been discovered by humans can now be accessed via the system that is shared by over 400 planetariums all over the world.
Full-dome educational movies are an added feature now made possible with the new projectors. Different titles will take turns showcasing throughout the year with topics ranging from space exploration and cosmic catastrophes to the Northern Lights, just to name a few. Famous Thai actor and screenwriter Chantavit "Ter" Dhanasevi -- among many other well-known names -- was one of those chosen as a narrator.
Aside from better aiding Thai children's learning, the renovation, Takorn hopes, will draw the older generation back to the planetarium. His ultimate wish is to see generations of families walking through the doors together. The old and the young sitting side-by-side in the leather seats, gazing up in wonder as the universe spreads out before their very eyes.
"As the first planetarium in Thailand, this place lingers long in people's memories," Takorn said, "Today's adults have their own childhood impression of what it was like. I feel this is a great opportunity for shared family time. Older generations can bring their kids, telling stories of how they've been here as kids themselves.
"In future, today's kids could be bringing their own kids here. By that time, maybe we'll have an even newer system in place. The cycle keeps on going, passing on this tradition from one generation of Thais to another."
Takorn hopes the opening hours could one day extend into the night-time to accommodate an older crowd of working adults. This decision, however, depends on if the Science Centre for Education can allocate staff members.
The planetarium now operates from 9am-4.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Entry is 20 baht for children and 30 baht for adults. No charges apply during Children's Day.
"We wish for this reopening to be a present for all Thais, especially the children," Takorn said. "We want to make the children curious. We want them to think. Learning from textbooks alone isn't enough. And even though all information is already available online these days, we believe the Bangkok Planetarium offers another angle of information that one needs to experience in order to find out what this is really all about."
The Christie projector.
The original control panel now works alongside a modern desktop computer in order for the entire planetarium to function to its fullest capacity.
Carl Zeiss Mark IV star projector.
A HOLIDAY OF DISCOVERY FOR KIDS
The Children's Discovery Museum Bangkok
The museum near Chatuchak Market will keep curious kids busy all day long. The science gallery explains natural phenomena through eye-catching presentations. The Dino Detective section encourages children to do some digging outside the buildings, While the Pyramid Net challenges anyone to conquer the labyrinth. If your kids find it's too hot, cool down at the water park nearby (bring towels).
Free admissionLocation: Chatuchak Park. BTS Mo ChitOpen: Tue-Sun 10am-4pmCall 02- 272-4500 or visit www.facebook.com/bkkchildrensmuseum
The Royal Thai Air Force Museum
For kids who love to look up at the sky, this museum in Don Muang features a large collection of aircraft, and visitors are welcome to touch, climb up, and even get in the pilot seats to imagine they're flying. The museum preserves different aeroplanes and equipment used by the Royal Thai Air Force. Its collection includes a rare Japan Tachikawa Ki-36 aircraft, Vought O2U Corsair, Curtiss BF2C Goshawks and various helicopters.
Free AdmissionLocation: Near Don Mueang Airport.Open: Tue-Sun 8am-4pmCall 0-2534-1853
The Golden Jubilee Museum of Agriculture
The museum depicts the development of agriculture and modern agricultural technology in various aspects from land development, forestry, fishery AND animal husbandry to ecology. It is also a training centre for royal projects. If your kids are plant lovers, this is a prime attraction. A highlight is the 120-seat cinema where two 3D animated movies (The Story Of The Royal Father In Our Home and Our Homeland) are screened on a regular basis. With cute cartoon characters and inspirational scripts, the animation tells about basic principles underlying His Majesty's "New Theory", which has proven to be an efficient approach for farmers nationwide.
Free AdmissionLocation: Tambon Khlong Nueng (KM46-48 Phahonyothin Road), opposite the Nava Nakorn Industrial Promotion ZoneOpen: Tue–Sun 9.30am to 3.30pmCall 02-529-2211—4
Thai Film Archive
Cinematography and its history are a subject worth exploring. The Thai Film Museum is housed in a two-storey yellow building, jam-packed with exhibits on Thai cinema, memorabilia, life-size mock-ups of characters and other historical objects. There is a screening room with a special programme for the Children's Day (and regular screenings on other days). A section called Muang Maya (Illusion City) is a collection of outdoor exhibitions featuring replicas of old movie houses and historical venues from Paris to New York, as well as fun-filled cinematography tools from the last century.
Free admissionLocation: Salaya, Buddhamonthon Sai 5Open: Daily 9am-5pmVisit www.fapot.org or www.facebook.com/ThaiFilmMuseum/info or call 02-482-2013/4.
Rattanakosin Exhibition Hall
The elegant exhibition hall tells glorious stories of Rattanakosin. Visitors can roam through different rooms featuring impressive art and cultural achievements from architecture and entertainment to ceremonies, through state-of-the-art multimedia and interactive technologies. There are three guided tours visitors can choose, ranging from one hour to four hours.
Admission fee: 100 bahtKids under 120cm: FreeTour session begins every 20 minutesOpen: Tue-Sun 10am-7pmwww.nitasrattanakosin.com
