The Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) of Thailand (สำนักงานปรมาณูเพื่อสันติ) in Chatuchak district,

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

, was established in 1961 as the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace. The OAP serves as the main authority for nuclear research in Thailand. The OAP employs approximately 400 people. The research topics and services provided at the OAP include

radioisotope A radionuclide (radioactive nuclide, radioisotope or radioactive isotope) is a nuclide that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. This excess energy can be used in one of three ways: emitted from the nucleus as gamma radiation; transferr ...

production, gamma radiography, neutron activation analysis, neutron radiography, and

gemstone irradiation Gemstone irradiation is a process in which a gemstone is artificially irradiated in order to enhance its optical properties. High levels of ionizing radiation can change the atomic structure of the gemstone's crystal lattice, which in turn alte ...

. The OAP operated a 2-

megawatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units, International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), ...

nuclear

research reactor Research reactors are nuclear fission-based nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source. They are also called non-power reactors, in contrast to power reactors that are used for electricity production, heat generation, or maritim ...

, Thai Research Reactor 1/Modification 1 (TRR-1/M1). The TRR-1/M1 is of the type

TRIGA TRIGA (Training, Research, Isotopes, General Atomics) is a class of nuclear research reactor designed and manufactured by General Atomics. The design team for TRIGA, which included Edward Teller, was led by the physicist Freeman Dyson. Design ...

Mark III, built by

General Atomics General Atomics is an American energy and defense corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, specializing in research and technology development. This includes physics research in support of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion energy. The ...

, and began operation in 1962 after being commissioned in 1961 as a 1MW reactor. The TRR-1/M1 underwent its modification during 1975-1977, at which point it began operation as a 2MW reactor. TRR-1/M1 is the only nuclear reactor in Thailand. In 2006, OAP was divided into two separate entities: the original OAP, which will oversee nuclear and radiation regulations nationally, and the new

Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology The Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (TINT) (สถาบันเทคโนโลยีนิวเคลียร์แห่งชาติ) is a public organization in Bangkok, Thailand. Overview The institute is an entity establis ...

(TINT), which will conduct peaceful nuclear research and offer services to the public.

OAP functions

# To be the Secretariat of the Atomic Energy for Peace Commission (AEC). # To regulate radiation safety, nuclear safety, and nuclear material. # To conduct research and development of nuclear technology. # To co-ordinate formulation of national policy and strategic plans on peaceful utilization of atomic energy. # To co-ordinate and carry out commitments and obligations with international organizations and with foreign institutes. # To co-ordinate and support national security relevant to atomic energy issues. # To co-ordinate and carry out technical co-operation with organizations in Thailand and abroad.

References

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External links

Nuclear Society of Thailand
Government departments of Thailand Nuclear technology in Thailand Nuclear organizations Organizations based in Bangkok Government agencies established in 1961 1961 establishments in Thailand Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (Thailand) Scientific organizations based in Thailand