In southern Thailand’s Narathiwat province, where 67 per cent of the sun’s surface was eclipsed by the moon, a large number of people ventured to beaches and high rises to look skyward. Only Yala province saw a greater eclipse, at 69% coverage.
The eclipse has started at 6.27am in Narathiwat and reached its peak at 7.26am, before ending at 8.32am.
In Bangkok, thick clouds deprived sky watchers of a clear view of the 41% eclipse. But an enthusiastic crowd turned out at Benjakiti Park next to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre to take advantage of a viewing station set up by the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit).
In Nakhon Phanom, people flocked to the banks of the Mekong River to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse along early this morning, but came away disappointed as even heavier clouds covered the unique phenomena.
The hopeful waited until 8am, but the eclipsed sun did appear.
In Chachoengsao, former Science and Technology Minister Wuthipong Chaisang joined more than 500 eclipse watchers at the observatory in Plaeng Yao district to watch the phenomenon from more than 10 provided telescopes. There about 42% of the sun was blackened.
In Prachuap Khiri Khan, the people gathered at Waghor Science Park where five telescopes were provided. Waghor village was the location where King Rama IV predicted the total solar eclipse on Aug 18, 1868. The partial eclipse here was 48% staring at 6.31am to the peak at 7.30am and ended at 8.30am.
The Narit prepared five venues for watchers from 6am to 10am. People in Bangkok watched from Benjakiti Park. Other observation points were on top of the Central Festival shopping centre in Chiang Mai's Muang district, Samila beach in Songkhla town, an observatory at Suranari University of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima and another one in Plaeng Yao district in Chachoengsao.
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