Royal Rainmaking Research and Development Institute, the first step to begin the
“Fonluang” (Royal Rainmaking) Insignia for the “For-Lor Office”
In 1975, the government realized that the importance of Royal Rainmaking had kept
growing, and petitions of rain making had increased in yearly. In order that the
operation of the Royal Rainmaking could be widely and efficiently managed to help
farmers, a Royal Decree was issued for the establishment of the Royal Rainmaking
Research and Development Institute under the Office of the Permanent Secretary for
the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on 21st of September 1975.
At that time, the principle duties of Royal Rainmaking Research and Development
Institute were as follows:
1. Operating to prevent and reduce drought by making natural rain for public use
and agriculture
2. Increasing water to natural resources such as swamps, marsh lands, dams and reservoirs
for electricity generation, irrigation, water supply, industry, also and underground
water resource.
3. Conducting research and Royal Rainmaking technology development
The Royal Rainmaking Office was initially composed of four operating units. Only
three small rooms at the Department of Agricultural Engineering were used as operation
office. The officers of the Department of Agricultural Engineering made and developed
equipment to be used for rainmaking experiment. These included equipment such as
a salt incubator, salt burn machine, salt grinder, etc.
The former Director-General, Mr.Warawut Khantiyanan, briefed on the working atmosphere
of the Royal Rainmaking Research and Development Institute in 1977, when he entered
government service, that only four operation units were able to meet the petitions
made by people to provincial governors.
“During that time, a severe and a mild drought each year occurred alternately. Consequently,
drought condition enlarged; from 10-15 to 20-30-40 provinces each year. Sometimes,
the requests for rain making were submitted by fifty provinces and they could not
be handled by the existing operation units. It was a difficult time; the operators
worked tiredly because after having finished an operation, they had to move immediately
from one province to another. Caravan movements were to be completed within three
days. They carried substances and equipment. When receiving orders, they traveled
from Rayong Province, Chanthaburi Province to Surat Thani Province and had to set
up the unit and fly on the third day.”
In 1977, the Royal Rainmaking operation was composed of four teams. Each team had
three - four small aircrafts, and each aircraft consisted of three pilots and mechanics.
There were a total of six scientists. One scientist flew on each operational flight.
“The season of drought in each year was different. Sometimes, drought occurred in
midyear, sometimes, at the end of a year. Nature was uncertain. We worked hard at
the beginning of wet season rice cultivation, during May to July. If rain was delayed,
it created a crisis and a harder work load, flying two or three times every day.
The radius of flight covered about four provinces.”