The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, serves as the primary astronomical organization in Thailand. Its mission is to disseminate astronomical knowledge to Thai society, with a particular focus on inspiring and instilling a passion for astronomy among Thai youth. This aims to foster awareness and appreciation of science through astronomy, enhancing the country's astronomical knowledge base, and developing research collaborations both nationally and internationally. NARIT organizes more than 10 astronomy-related activities each year, such as :
NARIT Youth Camp (NYC)
17 years ago, "Astronomy Camp" was a relatively new concept in Thailand, with most youth having no prior experience in astronomy. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) recognized this gap and organized “NARIT Youth Camp” (NYC) under the theme "Play, Learn, and Stargaze." The goal is to foster a positive attitude towards learning astronomy among Thai youth by allowing them to use astronomical equipment themselves and introducing them to career paths in astronomy through professional astronomers. This helps broaden their view of astronomy as a realistic career option and provides guidance for future educational choices. Currently, NARIT has been running the camp for over 17 years, starting alongside its establishment. To date, 3,030 participants have completed the camp out of over 20,000 applicants from across Thailand. Data from the past three years (2018-2020; 5 camps) shows that many participants have developed a greater interest in science or engineering fields after attending the camp, often continuing to engage with NARIT activities. Some even pursue careers directly related to astronomy, indicating that the camp effectively promotes sustained interest in astronomy among the youth. Many of new NARIT employees nowadays have been alumni to the NYC, which is a testament to how effective NYC was at fostering a good impression in astronomy.
NARIT Astronomical Society (NAS)
Astronomy club in Thailand was not very widespread in schools and establishing one can be challenging. NARIT Astronomical Society (NAS) is a series of astronomy camps specifically tailored with the goals of facilitating the establishments of astronomy clubs in schools in mind. Participants get to learn relevant skills in amateur astronomy, exchanging their ideas and creating a sense of community with peers who share similar interests.
Over the 10 years that NAS has been organized, we have trained over 500 participants from 50 astronomy clubs and 50 schools.
With the addition of NAS Virtual Camp Online, we were able to expand our reach and create a virtual meeting space where over 3,000 members were able to exchange ideas and develop their own to be implemented in their own clubs.
In the result overing 10 years of NAS, we can experience that the Astronomy club is an efficient first community in school for students to get their first exposure to Astronomy in several aspects in terms of practical knowledge, astronomy project and public outreach. By Creating an annual specialized training program, NAS was able to take the lead into creating a community where astronomy clubs across Thailand are able to justify their existence and have a lasting place where they can freely communicate, engage, and learn from each other.
Thai Astronomical Conference (student session) (TACs)
Astronomy is a globally recognized field that captivates people of all ages, fostering an enthusiasm for science and technology. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) has a main mission to carry out, support, and promote the development of astronomy and astrophysics through research and astronomy activity. NARIT's Astronomy Research-Based Learning Workshop offers an alternative to formal education in the classroom. By conducting a research in astronomy, students not only learn relevant skills in astronomy but also get to explore scientific process and gain valuable skills in critical-thinking, both of which are severely lacking in the current learning culture in Thailand. For many students, this workshop offer them a chance to understand better about astronomy as a career as they perform research using real data from robotic telescopes, learning astronomical softwares, working under supervision of real astronomers. However, the workshop also put emphasis on them coming up with their own original questions as they strive to find answers about astronomical events in their everyday lives. Teachers are also proven to be important to this process and also offer a means in which a progress can be passed on between school years. As such, workshops aimed at training astronomy project advisors have also been crucial. To further promote and support the research-based extracurricular activities, NARIT has also established the Thai Astronomical Conference (TACs) to promote astronomy among young people via astronomical research projects. Over the last decade, TACs have facilitated the participation of over 500 research projects. In the last three years, TACs has also recognized students' potential to further their research tasks by awarding medals to excellent participants, motivating them to continue looking into and innovating in the field.
Astro Kids Summer Camp
Astronomy is a topic that is both distant, yet relatable and remains one of the most powerful inspirational tools for young audience. Astro Kids Summer Camp aim to introduce astronomy from everyday occurences to young children. In the camp, children can learn how to work as a team, explore their creativity, coming up with ideas and present them through various activities such as building rockets, design landing gears, using telescope and astronomical instruments.