A Resort Like Campus
KU.KPS as A Resort Like Campus
Eco/Agro-tourist Destinations and Places for Recreation
Not only is KU.KPS an educational institution of agricultural science and technology, but it is also a place of green and beautiful nature. Its’ landscape and buildings have been elaborately well- designed and compatible to their natural surroundings. The beauty of KU.KPS always impresses all visitors who visit. On first entering KU.KPS , you will see and become impressed by double lines of Nonsi trees on both sides, you will also be overcome by the beauty of a variety of plants.
On the campus of KU.KPS, there are lots of places suitable for both pleasure and learning. For example, the Entomological Park in honor of His Majesty the King, is a place to see and learn about ecological nature of varieties of insects.
In this introduction of agro-tourism on the campus of KU.KPS, the compiler introduces only some places to visit and learn. There are more places of interest and they will be introduced later.
KU.KPS Botanical Park
Since KU.KPS. realizes that botanical gardens in Thailand are still less developed than any other countries in Asia, the KU.KPS Botanical Park has been designed and established on campus to systematically include wide varieties of plants that have been labeled. Not only is this for study but also for recreation purposes for campus faculty members, staff, students and the general public.
Fish and Bird Ecological Park
The first thing you will notice when entering KU.KPS is its fresh and green atmosphere. Soon after this you will see on your left side the Fish and Bird Ecological Park, the place for relaxing and taking a rest where you can also make merit giving food to fish.
On the opposite side is the public park in celebration of His Majesty the King, s 80th Birthday. This park consists of various zones such as a Botanical Garden, Scenic Points, and The Garden of Health and Exercise.
Lotus Garden
This garden contains a variety of lotuses and water lilies. KU.KPS provides this place for both appreciation and admiration of their beauty. This garden also provides a place to learn about these flowers.
Driving Range and Golf Course
This is a 9-hole-golf course surrounded by fresh green vegetation. The driving range provides golfers with short driving and accuracy practice. Moreover, both real and artificial greens for practice are also offered. Apart from sophisticated and modern facilities, there are some golf specialists to give advice and train interested golf beginners.
Fragrant Flower Garden
This fragrant flower garden is located in front of the Central Laboratory and Greenhouse Complex, Research and Development Institute at Kamphaeng Saen. It contains over a hundred varieties of fragrant flowers which scent the surrounding area. It is the perfect place to learn about fragrant flowers and to find rare varieties. This area is especially fitting for those who are interested in agro-tourism and conservation.
National Research Center for Pest Control by Micro Organism
This center provides the public with services of pest control through bio-methods and pest management. These ideas have been found through research and development. Surrounded by a beautiful environment, the center is a place of exchanging technology and management know how of weed pest as well as insect carriers without the use of chemical substances.
Entomological Park in Honour of His Majesty the King
This is the largest dome-shaped park in Southeast Asia. It was established to commemorate His Majesty the King Prestige. In this park a variety of insects have been gathered including rare and nearly extinct insects. In addition to a live display of insects, flowers and there is also an insect museum complex with a variety of insects for biodiversity study.
Comprehensive Demonstration Center of Beef Production
The functions of this center are research and development of buffalo and beef cattle production under tropical conditions. It also provides a place of training for students and farmers.
KPS beef cattle has been intensively selected and improved from three foundation breeds (25% Native, 25% Brahman, and 50% Charolais ) in order to develop a new beef cattle breed which is suitable for tropical conditions.
The facilities of this center include a beef show arena, a steak house restaurant and horse riding services.
Physic Nut Garden
This garden is part of a Research and Development project to find out new sources of substitute fuel. In this project “Physic Nut or Saboo DAM School” has been established to be the center of “Saboo Dam” body of knowledge for farmers and other interested persons.
Chomphu Phanthip
In each year from February to April, beautiful pink flowers of Chomphu Phanthip, a variety of 8-25 metre-high trees, blooms along the road between KU laboratory School and forage crop zone of Suwanvajokkasikit institute of Research and Development of Livestock and Animal Products. This is another exquisitely scenic area of KU.KPS.
Natural-Made Tunnel
It is fantastic to ride a bike or to wander around through natural-made tunnel of trees along the route which runs around the campus boundry. This is great place to enjoy nature and to watch a variety of birds.
Near the main reservoir lies naturally fertile wet and damp forest full of rare and endangered floras and faunas.
Suan Saen Palm Palm Park
Suan Saen Palm Palm Park is located on around 40 rai. “Suan Saen Palm” Palm Park has been developed and created in the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of H.M. the King’s Ascension to the Throne. This park contains over 260 varieties of both domestic and foreign palm trees, scattered al over the area according to their natural characteristics for example, some are grown under water, while others are grown under the shadow of other trees.
Tropical Vegetable Research Center (TVRC)
TVRC is a center established to collect vegetable heredity and conduct R&D in vegetable varieties and production technology suitable for tropical climates. TVRC’s collection of economic and indigenous vegetable now consists f 10}640 [O2] samples, 32 plant types in 12 families. R&D from available vegetables are conducted in order to benefit farmers and in order to find out the appropriate vegetable production systems. In addition to its main tasks aforementioned, TVRC also conducts research works with other organizations both inside and outside KU.KPS., provides academic services to community (e.g. training programs), and supports the campus learning and instruction activities of both undergraduate and graduate level. TVRC is also the source for learning of many varieties of vegetables including local vegetables. There are also demonstrative vegetable crops of diverse varieties. Moreover, TVRC’s R&D provides farmers with seeds of vegetable varieties such as Sidathip 4 tomato Sidathip 92 tomato (F1) Cherry 154 tomato Mun Vangchang 365 chilli hot 758 Japanese pea 292 winged bean 070 Sacred basil 059 and sweet basil.
In sum, TVRC is another interesting spot in KU.KPS for those who like to learn about vegetable and those who just want to visit a place with a clean and natural atmosphere full with various plots of vegetable crops.
