With Deep Loyalty

       1999 was considered a highly auspicious year for the loyal Thai subjects since it marked the 72nd Birthday Anniversary of their beloved His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. All Thai people from different localities wholeheartedly offered their respect and gratitude for the benevolence that His Majesty has continuously bestowed on his subjects. To honor the occasion, numerous projects which brought happiness and prosperity to the country and its people were launched.

      At another corner of the world, a group of Thai people in the Republic of Germany, consisting of H.E. Mr. Kasit Pirom, Thai Ambassador to Berlin; officials at the Royal Thai Consulate; a number of the Thai community; and German-Thai businessmen, poses as an example of the collaboration to celebrate the auspicious occasion. They had a waste water treatment device built for presenting to His Majesty for use in treating waste water in the various palaces outside of Bangkok. His Majesty graciously granted permission for the installation of such a device at Bang Pa-In Palace in Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya Province.

 

Joint Effort to Rehabilitate the Environment and Treat Waste Water

        A working group comprising experts from relevant fields surveyed the area and collected water samples at Bang Pa-In Palace. They found that water in the pond had a dark green color due to the limited oxygen content which led to an excessive presence of thallophytic plant and seaweed. Therefore the Royal Thai Embassy in Berlin and the working group agreed that apart from installing a waste water treatment device, it was necessary to carry out a project to rehabilitate the environment and treat waste water at Bang Pa-In Palace too.

       After His Majesty's permission to embark on such project, work began in 2001 under joint cooperation between relevant agencies, both in Thailand and Germany. This included the Royal Irrigation Department, the Department of Fisheries, the Kasetsart University, the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Chaipattana Foundation, Berlinwasser International Company, TERM Engineering Company, and Thai DCI Company. The goal was to improve the quality of water in the pond, which expands over an area of 30,000 square meters and has a storage capacity of approximately 60,000 cubic meters, so that it can be useful for other activities.

 

Purified Water at Bang Pa-In Palace

            According to the historical records from the preceding reigns, Bang Pa-In Palace was built in the reign of King Prasart Thong of Ayutthaya Period and then restored during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV). Presently it is used as a place to welcome royal guests and host reception parties on various occasions. The Palace is also an important historical site that receives at least 400,000 visitors, both Thai and foreign, each year or at least an average of 1,000 visitors per day. The surroundings of the Palace are dominated by a serene and lovely natural atmosphere where numerous rare varieties of floral and aromatic plants are planted throughout the area. The beauty of the area is enhanced by the vast pond inhibited by assorted aquatic animals, including both beautiful and large types of fish and turtles. This brings great joy and relaxation to the tourists who come to visit the Palace.

             In contrast to the splendid environment, the water quality in the pond deteriorated through each passing day. This was due to the limited amount of oxygen in the water, which led to the existence of thallophytic plant and seaweed that consequently caused the fish to die. Contaminants found in the water from the Chao Phraya River and pollutants in the waste water discharged from the Palace and the environs accumulated in the pond, thus worsening the water quality.

             The system to rehabilitate and treat the waste water at Bang Pa-In Palace required installation of one water pumping system within the project area and also one sandbox filter system, a modern German technology suitable for the environment. However, since it used domestic materials, the cost incurred was not very high. Other installations included eight underwater blow-type aerators, one revolving water pumping machine, and two waste water treatment machines inside the building. A biological technique which did not use chemical substances but only aquatic plants to treat the waste water was adopted at the same time.

            Once the various installations were completed, the system for treating the waste water was tested on December 5, 2002. The system turned out to be effective in improving the quality of the waste water which was evident from the clearness of the water. Nevertheless, to improve the effectiveness of the project, it is still necessary to adjust the system which is expected to be completed and ready for the hand-over to Bang Pa-In Palace in 2004.

Owing to the Benevolence

         Highly interested in the waste water treatment system installed at Bang Pa-In Palace, His Majesty the King graciously commissioned Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to visit and observe the progress of the project to rehabilitate the environment and treat the waste water at Bang Pa-In Palace on his behalf on February 14, 2003. The parties concerned, both Thai and German, presented to Her Royal Highness reports on the past achievements as well as the next phase of the plan which will focus on biological works. With this regard, the Royal Irrigation Department will dredge the water sources to create a pond for raising aquatic animals while the Department of Fisheries will set the levels of food chain and food base in the pond so that they are suitable for the fish species.

          The fruit of this joint endeavor to rehabilitate the environment and treat the waste water at Bang Pa-In Palace between the Thai community and the Germans significantly helped to restore the ecological system at Bang-Pa-In to its original conditions. The project created beautiful scenery which adds to the grandeur and esthetic value of Bang Pa-In Palace, a proud heritage of all Thais. Finally, it also enhances and prolongs the warm relations between the two countries.