Grass really is greener for those whose dreams have come true
Delighted locals have given Sir int ha rap rue ks a pan Parka hear ty stamp of approval, writes Supoj Wancharoen
Having a public park close to home is a dream come true for Prapatson Fuengkankol who enjoys outdoor activities with her niece.
“The park is what we’ve been dreaming about. I love aerobic exercise while my little niece enjoys running around. Outdoor activities are good for our health and wellbeing, as well as being fun,” the 55-year-old resident said.
Ms Prapatson and her niece, Nong Gal, are regular visitors to Sirintharaprueksapan Park since its soft launch three years ago as the place offers physical and recreational activities to beat their boredom in the evening. It is a place where she learns about tips to maintain health and for her niece to experience a world of nature in an exciting way.
Another young regular can’t agree more with Ms Prapatson. Punyawat Saengprayoonporn, 10, enjoys the greenery near his house. “We have a run and take a bike ride with friends at the park,” he said. “We observe creatures the park offers. We look at the earthworm nursery and learn how they help plants grow.”
Sitting on Charan Sanitwong Soi 25 in Bangkok Noi district, the park provides easy access for those who live in the nearby Pracaruamjai community.
Small, yet attractive, the park also serves as an outdoor classroom for children and as agricultural and cultural learning centres for everyone.
Covering more than three rai (one rai is equivalent to 1,600 sq m), it is home to sought-after plants from different provinces.
With 18 chan ka por (Vatica diospyroides Symington), the place is claimed to be home to the largest number of the endangered medicinal plant in Bangkok. A substance extracted from the plant’s leaves, branches and fruit is thought to have excellent medicinal properties for breast cancer treatment.
Uncle Oui Chanchalerm gave his land to Her Royal Highness Princess Sirindhorn who decided to turn the land, once a fruit plantation, into a public park. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) improved the vacant area and returned it for use for the public.
The official opening ceremony of Sirintharaprueksaphan Park took place on March 2, with HRH Princess Sirindhorn presiding over the event. The princess was welcomed by Bangkok governor Asawin Kwanmuang and city officials.
Prapen Dissuwan from the Public Park Office under the Department of Environment who leads a team of officials overseeing Sirintharaprueksaphan Park said HRH Princess Sirindhorn granted the land where the park is now located, which earlier was under the Chaipattana Foundation’s jurisdiction to the BMA, to develop as a public park.
The BMA spent nearly eight million baht giving the land a new lease of life by improving the landscape and installing facilities in the park.
The princess, who paid a few visits to the park, then named the green spot “Sirintharaprueksapan Park, Ms Prapen said.
However, access to the park is not easy. The Bangkok Post’s trip there from the mouth of Soi Charan Sanitwong 25 was hindered by a narrow road only big enough for single-lane traffic. Upon arrival, however, the park provided a welcoming
and soothing experience, as it is blessed by broadleaf trees, shrubs and green spaces.
Preyasak Sasom, who is responsible for looking after the plants, said Sirintharaprueksaphan Park boasts 59 species of plants and 135 trees in total.
It incorporates broadleaf trees, fruit trees, ornamental and aquatic plants and vegetable gardens.
“Uncle Oui loves trees and plants. When he visited provinces, he came back with sprouts and seeds to be planted in his field,” Mr Preyasak said.
He said the park is an important habitat for rare species of plants and trees, citing
chan ka por and ruang peung (Yellow star).
Mr Preyasak said the park is often used as an outdoor classroom for children where they learn about eco-systems, and understand concepts about the natural world.
“The children can experience new material while having fun,” he said.
Some trees are purple orchid ( chongko), pink trumpet tree ( chompoo pantip), tabakna which is also known as Thai crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia floribunda), cork tree ( peep) or millingtonia hortensis. Fruits also include durian, coconut, longan, lychee, pomelo and olive.
The park is also a learning source for
local culture and people’s way of life.
Mr Preyasak insisted the BMA has followed the princess’s directives of preserving the site’s natural environment — a field with a water conduit on the edge to supply nearby plants.
This water passage was improved to allow a boat to cruise along the plantation. The boat service is available for visitors to enjoy the natural surroundings and learn about plants during a trip, Mr Preyasak said.
“We want visitors to learn about the way of life of the villagers who grew these fruits,” he said.
Next to the field is a carpentry museum with a lovely inviting entryway surrounded by a line of flowers and plants.
The museum is the focal point of the park. It was created as a tribute to the work of Uncle Oui who is a carpenter and is passionate about craftsmanship.
Inside, there is a display of different types of old carpentry tools he had used in his work, while a photo section tells part of the park’s history through images.
Ms Prapen said Uncle Oui’s life and career will be highlighted in an exhibition at the park.
She said 84-year-old Uncle Oui is a single man and now lives in a temple in Pathum Thani province. It is also where he passes his craftsmanship on to the younger generation at workshops he holds at the temple.
Another highlight of the park is a training centre, which endeavours to restore life to fading Thai culinary arts.
“We offer a class that teaches people how to make kanom re-rai,” she said, adding the Thai sweet is hard to find in local markets as it involves many cookery steps and a high level of skill.
The BMA is also working with nearby schools and universities to encourage activities in the park, Ms Prapen said.
Some might consider the most striking feature of the park a decades-old wooden house which sits against a backdrop of the city.
The house is where Uncle Oui and his parents lived.
The park also features an agricultural learning centre. A corner is dedicated to organic farming following the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s sufficiency philosophy.
Here, people can learn to make effective micro-organisms to improve water quality.
The park also has a pavement and a 556m running track. Green spaces are allocated at the park for visitors to sit and rest their feet after a run.
A multi-functional outdoor space is now usually used for aerobic exercises and other physical activities.
Nun Buppha Klanjit, 60, another regular at the park said the place has become a hideaway for her. She said she would be delighted to see more green spaces, big and small, dotting the urban area, throughout the capital.