Welcoming Speech
By Mr. Narin Songnipitkul, Deputy Governor of Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province
In the opening ceremony of ASEAN Weather Modification Training 2019

at Imagine Room, Amari Hua Hin Hotel, Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province on 22 July 2019

Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Meesak Pakdeekong,
Senior Officials,
Expert Lecturers,
Distinguished Delegates from ASEAN countries, South Korea, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of Phrachuap Khiri Khan’s officials and people, I would like to welcome Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and all to Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province. It is our great honor to be the venue of the ASEAN Training on Weather Modification 2019.

Phrachuap Khiri Khan, one of twenty-five provinces of the Central bordering the South, comprises 8 districts, with the area of six hundred twenty four thousand hectares. (624,000 ha.) The province is two hundred twelve (212) kilometer-long and narrow lining to the South. It has the narrowest part of Thailand of 11 kilometer-long from the Gulf of Thailand to the border of Myanmar at Singkhon Immigration Check Point, Khlong Wan Sub-district, Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan District.

Most agricultural area is rain-fed area. Income from agricultural sector is sixteen point three (16.3) percent of the provincial GDP. Main crops are field crops, tree, rice, and vegetable. Apart from cultivation, Prachuap Khiri Khan has high potential on fishery, since it has a coastal line of two hundred twenty four (224) kilometer-long. Moreover, it also contains valued livestock, such as cattle, cow, goat, and chicken.

The Hua Hin’s significant interesting place is Klai Kang Won Palace, the summer residence of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great Klai Kang Won, meaning “far from worries”, is named after the peace and serenity of the surrounding landscape, fronting an isolated stretch of the Hua Hin beachfront.

Apart from the best known Hua Hin beach, there are plenty beautiful sandy beaches and forested mountains in Phrachuap Khiri Khan. It is, therefore, the top destination for foreign and local tourists that their number increases every year.

Since you all are already in our beautiful town, I wish you could find time to visit its attraction. Phrachuap Khiri Khan’s officials and people do hope that we would get an opportunity to welcome you again. Wish you have a wonderful time in Hua Hin, and have a fruitful training.

Thank you very much.

Report by Dr. Surasri Kidtimonton
Director-General of Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation
In the opening ceremony of ASEAN Weather Modification Training 2019

at Imagine Room, Amari Hua Hin Hotel, Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province on 22 July 2019

Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Mr. Meesak Pakdeekong,
Deputy Governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Mr. Narin Songnipitkul,
Senior Officials,
Expert Lecturers,
Distinguished Delegates from ASEAN countries, South Korea, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka
Media,
honoured guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation or DRRAA, it is our great honour to have the presence of Deputy Permanent Secretary on this inauguration of the ASEAN Training on Weather Modification 2019: Understanding of Cloud Nature and Weather Modification for Water Resources Management in ASEAN today. Nowadays, DRRAA takes part in preventing and solving drought, adding water into reservoirs, mitigating natural disaster, as well as setting integrated policies and work plans with related organizations in water management of the country.

To accomplish our missions and cope with the challenges of climate change and global warming causing delayed rain, extensive agricultural areas and change of land use, DRRAA has been advanced in the Royal Rainmaking Technology and enhance working of our personnel with utmost effectiveness in operating Royal Rainmaking.

In doing so, DRRAA has continually promoted international cooperation in terms of academy of science and technology and participated in international conferences and training relating on this field.

As a further step of the 2018 workshop in Thailand where ASEAN Member States including China, South Korea and World Meteorological Organization or WMO contributed to share best practices on cloud seeding technology, this ASEAN Training on Weather Modification 2019 is organized to enhance skill, experience and knowledge of participants, as well as promote mutual collaboration.

The training course is financially supported by DRRAA Agricultural Research Development Agency of Thailand and WMO, attended by totally 45 participants from DRRAA of Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines, including cooperation partners from South Korea, Mongolia and Sri Lanka.

It is undertaken for five days during the twenty - second to twenty-sixth July, 2019. It is privilege to have experts from WMO and China Meteorological Administration, including DRRAA’s MOU counterparts to be the lecturers.

The participants will be provided with three main sessions, session 1 General Background of Weather Modification allocated with the comprehension on scientific basis and cloud micro physics session 2 Weather Modification Research including cloud microphysics, cloud model and design for research, and session 3 Weather Modification Technology with Alternative technology such as rocket, ground-based generator and hygroscopic seeding. The substantive and fruitful discussion is also allocated in the conclusion part where to find the way of collaboration on weather modification for further water resources management at regional level.

For the topic on Royal Rainmaking Operation, DRRAA experts and scientists will provide the information and show participants our specialized technology which was initially developed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great and has been an excellent invention broadly recognized in international level.

This would result in weather modification knowledge development. The participating countries can learn and apply to their own techniques in order to enhance the effectiveness of cloud seeding technology and help to refine its performance to address the environment challenges further.

Deputy Permanent Secretary, at this auspicious moment, kindly allow me to invite you to open the training on Weather Modification 2019, please.

Opening Remarks by Mr. Meesak Pakdeekong
Deputy Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
In the opening ceremony of ASEAN Weather Modification Training 2019

at Imagine Room, Amari Hua Hin Hotel, Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province on 22 July 2019

Deputy Governor of Phrachuap Khiri Khan Province, Mr. Narin Songnipitkul,
Senior Officials,
Distinguished Lecturers and Delegates
Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Government of Thailand and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, it is my great pleasure to chair the opening ceremony of ASEAN Training on weather Modification 2019.

As we realize that water issues have been growing in importance since the world has been facing for decades the result of climate change relating extreme weather, drought and flood. These conditions worsen the tensions over scarce water resources. Farmers and people are suffering from lack of water for agriculture and domestic consumption.

Weather modification is one of important technologies for alleviating the major challenges in a long term. Thailand is a fortunate country that His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great initiated the Royal Rainmaking project since 1955 in order to solve drought, haze and forest fire.

This training course is focusing on increasing knowledge and skill on weather modification of the participants to cope with the aforesaid challenge.I, therefore, suggest the participants to gain knowledge as much as possible to be applied to your work and get the method for further research and development which could be collaborated with an aim to provide substantive coherence at water security management in the region.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation to all expert lecturers for giving your time to the training. I also thank the financial supporting agency and DRRAA, the hosting organization.

As time is now auspicious, may I declare open the ASEAN Training on weather Modification 2019: Understanding of Cloud Nature and Weather Modification for Water Resources Management in ASEAN” and I sincerely wish you every success in your deliberations. Thank you.