On the 17 of March 2018, the Ambassador of Thailand to Jordan led a Jordanian media delegation to a study visit of the Royal rain making operation organized by the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation at the Royal Rainmaking Operation Unit under the Royal Operation Eastern Center in Chantaburi province, Thailand .

On this occasion, the Thai Ambassador  gave an interview to the Jordanian media delegates, the correspondents from the Sehhatuna website, emphasizing a close tie between Thailand and Jordan especially on the cooperation of the rainmaking project in Jordan with the support from the Royal Thai government. The Thai Ambassador highlighted Thailand’s full support in providing assistance to the Jordanian government in training programme, technology transfer and provision of the necessary equipments for the success of the rain making project in Jordan.

The followings are English translation of the Article published on the Sehhatuna website.

The fall of industrial rain in Jordan with Thai technology is a matter of time

Chanthaburi, Thailand

Expert and officials working in the Thai rainmaking project, -which is an initiative by the late King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, in the framework of his efforts in the field of agricultural development-, confirmed that the success of the rainmaking project in Jordan is a matter of time.

During a visit of a Jordanian media delegation recently to a rainmaking plant in Chanthaburi province in the eastern part of Thailand located on the Gulf of Thailand, experts and Thai officials said that more training and some additional equipment is needed as well for the success of the rainmaking experiment in Jordan.

“Thailand will continue to provide support and training to Jordan to help the success of the rainmaking process to provide more water to help meet the increasing demand for water”, said Thailand's Ambassador to Jordan Pornpong Kanittanon, who accompanied the media delegation during the visit to Thailand.

Ambassador Kanittanon added, during an interview with Sehhatuna website, that a Jordanian delegation from Jordanian Meteorological Department (JMD) will visit Thailand for further training this year on the rainmaking process.

According to Bakdi Chantrakit, Head of the Academic Group of the Royal Rainmaking Project (DRRAA), the late King of Thailand launched the initiative in 1955 after some places in Thailand suffered from drought, increasing the suffering of farmers.

Chantrakit added that the late king spent 14 years studying, researching, evaluating and analysing meteorological information and documents to ensure the success of the project. The late king of Thailand obtained a patent in the rainmaking technology, which made a big difference in the lives of farmers and the agricultural sector, and hence the Thai economy. The Royal Initiative was officially launched in 1969.

Chantrakit told Sehhatuna website, -which was part of the media delegation that went on  a rainmaking flight over one of Thailand’s regions-, that the process of rainmaking begins with the so-called clouds simulative, then clouds fattening clouds and then clouds attacking,  which will lead to rainfall in the target area.

The rainmaking is a physical and chemical process, in which aerosols (silver iodide, calcium chloride, table salt, calcium oxide, urea) is used to change or stimulate the natural growth of clouds by collecting water vapour and droplets on those substances, which forms the so-called condensate nuclei leading to an increase in the size and weight of droplets and then precipitated by the force of gravity, according to scientific definitions.

The cost of the single operation for the rainfall is about 10 thousand US dollars, during which a private aircraft is used to spray materials above the clouds in several stages, according to the official.

After the success of the rainmaking process, rain falls at a rate of 10 mm on an area of ​​up to 32 square kilometres.

Rainfall starts 15 to 30 minutes after completion of the rainmaking process.

He pointed out that Thailand is conducting daily rainfall operations to provide the necessary water in natural water reservoirs or to provide water for farmers to irrigate crops.

"When it rains, we are happy because everyone is happy to have the rain that supports one of the most important sectors in Thailand, agriculture." Chantrakit said.

Chantrakit said that Jordan is one of the few countries which Thailand has participated in the technology of rainmaking with, considering the distinguished relations between the two countries.

The Thai Ambassador to Jordan said that Jordan now has the required radar for the air-forecasting process required for rainmaking, pointing out that it is possible to start with a small-scale aircraft for the process.

"We are committed to providing our expertise to support Jordan in this area, as the two countries enjoy strong and strategic relations and the issue is only a question of time, more training and the acquisition of the required equipment," he added.

The Ambassador said that Thailand did not succeed in producing industrial rain from the first day, but it took time, continuous training and continuous testing.

"We are all hopeful and confident that the experience will be successful."

The link to the article (in Arabic) in the Sehhatuna website: http://www.sehhatuna.com/article/%D8%B3%D9%82%D9%88%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D9%83%D9%86%D9%88%D9%84%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A3%D9%84%D8%A9-%D9%88%D9%82%D8%AA