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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand

Volume XVI-2024 (Special Issue)

translation, astrophysics, changes in geography and climate, and application of agricultural data

in Chinese and Thai in order to solve the repeated flooding problems in certain areas. Hundreds
of Thai students have joined this project.

In 1993, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited the Antartica and the research
laboratories in the South pole that belong to New Zealand, the United States, Japan, China, etc.

All aim to solve the problem of climate change by collecting data on greenhouse gases that are
accumulated in the ice core for million years. Thailand has sent several Thai scientists to do

research in oceanography and environmental science in the south pole since 2004. In addition,
there is another research project in Antartica named IceCube to detect and measure neutrino,

a high energy particle from space, as well as to find the origin of this particle; Thai and Chinese
scientists are collaborating on this research project. (Thajchayapong, 2023)

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn gave importance to rice which is an important grain
influencing the way of life among Thai people from ancient time. She recognized that studying

rice genome would be beneficial to the development of rice strains that could resist diseases,
insects, and climate change. Hence, a royal-initiated Thai rice innovation project was established

for such a research that is now under collaboration between personnels in Rice Departments,
researchers at Kasetsart University and the National Center for Genetic Engineering and

Biotechnology (BIOTEC).
In the past, collaboration between engineers and physicians was not common because of

limited personnels on both sides and the complicated rules and regulations among the units
involved. This resulted in few medical instruments created to help the disabled. Princess Maha

Chakri Sirindhorn initiated a project with a collaboration network among physicians, engineers,
and academics in biomedical engineering (BME) to create products to improve quality of life and

health among Thai people. Examples include artificial skulls for skull deformity, surgical tools
for excess bone removal, digital hearing aids for those with medium to severe degree of hearing

loss, etc. At present, the associate members of this project consists of 13 various universities and
organizations such as Chulalongkorn University, Mahidol University, Thailand Center of Excellence

for Life Sciences (public organization) (TCELS), etc. with joint objectives to support quality of life
in the disabled and those with body defects.

Realizing the importance of science and technology in the progress of the country,
Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn initiated a project to nurture Thai youth in areas both urban

and rural, as well as developed and remote. From her many visits to local people in all parts
of the country, she was aware of their living situations; as a result, she established a project to

provide education in science and technology. The project trained teachers to teach science and

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