Ultraman Town
Located in Ayutthaya Province, the Ultraman Town & Museum opened sometime around 2004 and was closed after the 2011 floods that ravaged central Thailand. The 500-rai plot of land is owned by businessman Sompote Saengduenchai, aka Sompote ‘Sands’, who is also Thai film director, special effects creator and producer best known for directing several Thai films. Mr. Sompote also owns worldwide rights, excluding Japan, to the comic superhero Ultraman. He was a student in Japan in 1962 & became involved in the development of the Ultraman character. The 2011 floods not only destroyed the structures in the museum/theme park, but also a lot of the valuable collectables, props, and other items housed in the museum which were related to the Thai film industry. The floods were a tragedy for many across Thailand, this is one example of irreplaceable loss, items that were of great importance to Thai film history. These images only show the entrance area, as it is a walled, gated, and locked property in which I didn’t want to trespass, nor did I have time on that day. The giant sheet-metal covered face of Ultraman, the site that once welcomed guests to the park, actually covers a cement statue which can be seen in older photos. I’d like to have a look inside some day. Sources: https://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/ultraman-copyright-big-plans-after-japan-court-win https://pantip.com/topic/32529090?fbclid=IwAR11cFcm5H60i1OjcFvdFwXXmF00xMPX0-S1neUbN1NYU97ECF3lSJs8g74 https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2003/03/09/the-return-of-ultraman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sompote_Sands
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