Every one here speaks of Dinosaurs. For millions of years, the peaceful earth of Sahatsakhan district of Kalasin province has been the final resting place for the large dinosaurs that used to roam in this area. In 1995, fossilized dinosaurs of the Sauropod species (plant-eating dinosaurs) were uncovered at Phu Kum Khao in Sahatsakhan district.
An investigation shows that the fossils found in this area are of the same species as Phuwianggosaurus Sirindhornae, discovered in Phu Wiang district of Khon Kaen province. The name was bestowed in honor of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
Fossilized dinosaur skeletons here are considered the most complete ones ever to have been unearthed in Asia. From this discovery, a dinosaur museum, the largest in Thailand, was established in Kalasin.
The Sirindhorn Museum is the largest dinosaur museum in Southeast Asia and the second largest in Asia, after China. It was constructed with a fund of more than 400 million Baht. The main objective is to serve as a study center for geology and pre-historic animal life found in Thailand. The museum also serves as a dinosaur research center and provides knowledge about the life of dinosaurs.
Upon arrival at the dinosaurs study center and museum, visitors will spot the replica of a gigantic Tyrannosaur, the same family as the T-rex, found in Thailand in a rock surface aged 130 million years. The Tyrannosaur is one of the oldest dinosaur species in the world. The museum has displays on the birth of the universe, planets, and the Earth, as well as the evolution of living organisms, from one cell to more complex ones, which developed into land, sky, and ocean dinosaurs.
Among the amazing exhibits are models of all dinosaur species found in Thailand. They include Siamotyranus Isanensis, Phuwianggosaurus Sirindhornae, Kinnarimimus, and Siamosaurus Suteethorni. These fossils provide a wealth of information revealing that northeastern Thailand during the late Jurassic Period was an alluvial plain consisting of large rivers. Numerous dinosaurs lived in this area before they became extinct in the early Cretaceous Period.
Apart from providing education with modern techniques, easy to understand, the museum displays many impressive dinosaur skeletons and life-size models of dinosaurs in a delightful atmosphere. Other places that should not be missed are the fossil storage and the building for Phuwianggosaurus Sirindhornae, which is located at the excavation site. Several herbivorous dinosaurs have been discovered in the nearby areas. So it can be said that the Sirindhorn Museum provides not only a wealth of knowledge but also draws visitors to see the field work geologists.
Interested persons wishing to follow the traces of dinosaurs in Thailand may visit the Petrified Wood and Northeastern Mineral Resource Museum, Nakhon Ratchasima province, which opens every day, from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
