Seri Thai Garden

Seri Thai Garden, formerly known as BuengKum Water Park, is a public park which is located at MoobanSahakorn, Serithai Road, Bang Kum District, Bangkok. The garden covers an area of 57 rai. Originally, “BuengKum” or “Bueng Ta Thong” was an old, large public pond that became shallower due to man’s doings. In 1985, restoration and development for the park started following His Majesty’s initiative project to create a flood control reservoir for Bangkok. The pond can hold up to 1.5 million cubic metres and has floodgates which control water level and release water to BuengKum Canal and onward to SaenSaeb Canal. Later on, the area was expanded into park and forest park as part of Bangkok’s forest park project to celebrate the 50th coronation anniversary of his Majety the King. The park was then named “BuengKum Water Park”. In 1995, members of Free Thai Movement (Seri Thai Movement) asked to use part of the park as “Lan Seri Thai”, which was officially opened on September 2, 1995. Then Dusadee Phanomyong, daughter of the founder of Free Thai Movement and seniour statesman of Thailand, and other members suggested the name “Suan Seri Thai (Seri Thai Garden)” for BuengKum Water Park as a commemoration to the movement. The official opening was held August 16, 1997, which was the 52nd anniversary of the end of World War II. In August 1999, the “Thai Peace Day” celebration was held by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and the PridiPhanomyong 100th anniversary celebration committee to commemorate Thailand’s 54th liberation anniversary and to honourthe Free Thai Movement whose works contributed to the good of the nation. On this occasion, the “Seri Thai Memorial Building” was built according to the pattern of “ThamNeabTha Chang”, or No. 19, PhraAthit Road, PhraNakhon District, Bangkok, where PridiPhanomyong lived while he served as King Rama XIII’s regent and head of Free Thai Movement. ThamNeabTha Chang, consequently, was used as a headquarter of the movement during World War II. The opening ceremony of the building took place on August 16, 2003. At Seri Thai Garden, there are various attractions as follows: Seri Thai Memorial Building contains Seri Thai Memorial Museum, youth library and BuengKum Water Park Musuem, which is a unique highlight of Seri Thai Garden. The edge of the pond is covered with water plants. In the middle of the pond, there are a large fountain and a manmade island. There are also pavilions for chilling out. Over ten species of Thai and foreign palm tree can be found here including some rare ones, such as Carpentaria palm and Bismarck palm. Three forest parks, which are ” Suan Pa TaweeSook,” “Suan Pa Rom Sai” and “Suan Pa Charoenkarn,” are home to large tree or perennial plants, such as Banyan tree, flame-tree, Cassod tree and laurelwood. There are also scented flowering plants which are mostly Thai plants; for example, bullet wood and Wrightiareligiosa (Apocynaceae), and other fruit trees like pomelo, santol, custard apple and jackfruit.