National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand Thai National Observatory (TNO) is NARIT's main facility, atop Thailand's highest mountain, Doi Inthanon in Doi Inthanon National Park, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. The concept of a national astronomical research institute was discussed for the first time in the Assembly of the Deans of the Faculty of Science in Thai universities. On July 20, 2004, commemorating His Majesty King Bhumibol's 80th Birthday Anniversary in 2007 and marking the bicentenary of the life and work of King Mongkut the "Father of Thai Science" the government approved the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), under the
Doi Kham be reduced to ashes. Also, the number of people growing opium poppies was increasing. At the king's command, the royal project was created to provide alternative sources of income for hill tribe villages that formerly relied on opium production and swidden agriculture. The meaning of the words "Doi Kham" comes from two northern Thai words. The word "doi" means 'mountain' or 'hill' while the word "kham" is a shortened word for "thongkham" which means 'gold'. The Royal Project Foundation operates four research stations and thirty-five development centres that work with 295 villages containing 14,109 families. Involved are approximately 85,000 rural