• 
• 

Published on December 14, 2007

The Thailand Knowledge Park (TK Park) and Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD) would also be moved to the same place to form an integrated edutainment centre, she said.

Earlier she met with a group of TCDC members who were seeking a review of the decision to move the centre out of the Emporium Tower.

Dhipavadee said the members wondered whether the Jaturas Jamjuri Building could provide it with the same services as the Emporium Tower, whether the decision to select the Jaturas Jamjuri Building was transparent and whether the new location would be as convenient as the current one.

Dhipavadee said the idea of grouping the TCDC, TK Park and OKMD at one place in the downtown Sam Yan area as an edutainment centre was not new. The Thaksin Shinawatra administration initially wanted the three on the Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok Uthenthawai campus but faced obstacles, so they were opened in shopping malls instead.

She promised the group she would ensure the services provided at the new location would not be inferior.

Dhipavadee said the move would greatly cut down on operating expenses.

The TCDC member group's statement released to the press yesterday claimed the OKMD's study on moving the centre had mentioned the disadvantage of having lower quality and standard services.

The group said they want the OKMD to scrap the relocation plan because the Emporium was actually cheaper.

They also want the OKMD to review its policy to merge the TCDC with the National Discovery Museum Institute and the OKMD executives' performances to be scrutinised.

They said OKMD executives never explained the new location study results, the service support plan and the compensation scheme for members and private sector donors who had supported the TCDC.

Piyanart Srivalo

 The Nation