The organisation has invested more than Bt300 million in its establishment and plans to open the museum early next year.

The IT Museum is the third museum operated by the National Science Museum. The previous two museums include the Science Museum and the Natural Science Museum, which were opened five and three years ago, respectively.

Located at a new 10,000-square metre building of the National Science Museum in Pathum Thani province, the IT Museum will put technologies related to computers, electronics and communications on display to allow people to discover the mysteries behind the advanced technology they use.

The organisation's president Pichai Sonchaeng said the museum would encourage people to learn and acquire new knowledge in an easier way.

"By using a demonstration method with hands-on activities, we believe we can simplify complicated technologies and explain things to people in an easier way, and this is the key point to help people of all ages, not just children, learn and understand more about science," he said.

The IT Museum, he said, would be divided into four zones. The first zone would help people to understand the basic knowledge and calculation methods in the digital world, while the second zone would display the narrative of computer technology and its evolution. The third zone would demonstrate communications technology from the past to the present, and the last zone would bring people to the world of advanced technology in the new ICT era.

He said that the museum planned to work with international and local technology companies as well as local research institutions, to bring their technological development and innovations for exhibition in the museum's Open Mall area.

However, to make people become more familiar with technology, the new museum would also offer people hands-on experience. Pichai said the museum planned to build a gigantic computer central processing unit (CPU) to allow people to get inside the computer's main brain and learn about each component and how the computer works.

They would also get the chance to assemble their own computer system and try to set up a networking system.

Moreover, the museum will also work with the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology System Development Agency (GISTDA) to build what they called a "spy room" to allow people to learn about satellite systems which are used for tracking purposes.

Implementation of the museum is 80 per cent complete. Pichai said he hoped that all technological demonstrations and activities developed in the museum would not only encourage people to learn and get a better understanding of the technologies they use today, but also help to spark their ideas for new technological developments in the future.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation