NARIT News

NARIT Presents Research and Astronomy Outreach
Initiatives at APRIM 2026

4-8 May 2026 - The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT), under Thailand’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting 2026 (APRIM 2026), held in Hong Kong, China. Researchers and staff from NARIT joined astronomers and scientists from around the world to present research findings and astronomy outreach initiatives.

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The Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting (APRIM) is a major scientific conference organized by the International Astronomical Union every three years since 1978. Thailand previously hosted the meeting in 2011, led by NARIT. APRIM brings together astronomers, researchers, and participants from across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond to exchange ideas and discuss research, innovation, and international collaboration in astronomy, astrophysics, space science, and space sustainability. The conference also serves as an important platform for strengthening long-term international cooperation and advancing scientific knowledge at the global level.

At APRIM 2026, NARIT researchers and staff presented more than 26 research and academic outreach projects covering observational astronomy, theoretical astronomy, space technology, and the development of Thailand’s astronomical infrastructure.

The conference also provided an important opportunity for NARIT to exchange knowledge and experience with researchers and professionals from the international astronomy community, helping expand global research networks and strengthen Thailand’s scientific and astronomical capabilities toward becoming one of the world’s leading nations in astronomical research.

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Among the invited presentations were:

  • Dr. Supachai Awiphan — Exoplanet Research in Thailand through Global Collaboration
  • Dr. Nicha Leethochawalit — UV Galaxy Luminosity Functions at High Redshifts: Bright Ends and Beyond
  • Dr. Samaporn Tinyanont — Transients in the Tropics: Emerging Infrastructure for Time-Domain Astronomy in Thailand
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NARIT research groups also presented studies in various fields of astronomy, including:

  • Dr. Kanthanakorn Noysena — Real-Time Solar Glint Detection for Satellite-to-Satellite Monitoring in Low Earth Orbit
  • Dr. Krittapas Chanchaiworawit — From Cosmic Dawn to the Local Universe: How Environments and Spins Shape the Evolutionary Pathways of Galaxies
  • Dr. Nahathai Tanakul — Automatic Variable Star Classification with Light Curve Ensemble
  • Witsarut Charoensuppaphon — Advancing Cosmological Analysis: Data Transformation and Machine Learning to Simulate the Next-Generation Space Mission’s Observations
  • Dr. Adipol Phosrisom — SKA-Era Spider Pulsars: Optical Discovery of the Fastest-Spinning and Heaviest Neutron Stars
  • Narenrit Thananusak — Making Sense of FASHI & ALFALFA HI-galaxy Clustering through HI Line-width and DM Halo Mass
  • Kanathip Anuchit — Innovative Autonomous Mass-Balancing System for Precision Attitude Dynamics Testing on Air-Bearing Platforms
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In the field of astronomy education and regional collaboration, staff from NARIT and the International Training Center for Astronomy under the Auspices of UNESCO presented several projects, including:

  • Jessada Keeratibharat — Democratizing Immersive Astronomy Education: A Scalable Low-Cost DIY Planetarium Model for the Asia-Pacific
  • Dr. Matipon Tangmatitham — The Southeast Asia Planetarium, Education, and Outreach Conference
  • Natthida Yarangsri — SEAAN and SEA-ROAD: Fostering Regional Collaboration and Driving the Growth of Astronomy in Southeast Asia
  • Rujida Kurumarohit — ITCA Teacher Training Workshop: Expanding Access to Astronomy Education Through International Teacher Training
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At the same event, Dr. Boonrucksar Soonthornthum presented NARIT’s collaboration in the Thai-Chinese lunar exploration program through the talk Toward Sustainable Capacity Building in Science and Engineering for Lunar and Deep Space Exploration in Thailand.

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A student research project from NARIT’s Youth Astronomy Research Program was also selected for presentation at APRIM 2026. Thatchayuth Klipbua presented the project Tracing the Coevolution of Galaxies and Black Holes: Sersic Profiles as a Predictor of SMBH Growth Across Cosmic Time under the mentorship of NARIT researchers, highlighting the growing potential of young Thai researchers on the international academic stage.

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In addition, NARIT researchers contributed as co-authors to several other studies in areas such as artificial intelligence for astronomy research, exoplanet atmosphere studies, exomoon detection, and machine learning applications for next-generation astronomical data analysis, including:

  • Gunmethus Cherdchoochavalit — Machine Learning Inference for Physical Properties of Early Universe Galaxies in Upcoming JWST/NIRCam Photometric Surveys
  • Napat Nabklang — Diffusion-aided Variable Star Classification Based on Full Frame Images
  • Sivakorn Wangwon — Star Formation History Analysis with Deep Learning: An Efficient Alternative to CMD Fitting
  • Patcharawee Munsaket — A Machine Learning-based Alternative Method for Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrieval
  • Ing-Guey Jiang — On the Detectability of Transiting Exomoons by Roman Space Telescope
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