Letter From Bangkok

‘Dark sky tourism’: Thailand looks to the stars with growing interest in the cosmos

Pak Chong Astronomical Club members gathering to observe cosmic phenomena. These events are also open to the public. PHOTO: PAK CHONG ASTRONOMICAL CLUB
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BANGKOK – Stuck on his family’s dairy farm during the pandemic, Mr Sirichai Tongpailin spent his nights gazing at vast ink-black skies over the town of Pak Chong, north-east of Bangkok.

Captivated by the twinkle of the constellations and fuzzy spirals of nebulae – giant clouds of dust and gas that mark the death or birth of stars – Mr Sirichai, 50, began to explore ways to capture these scenes.

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