Dino Waterpark Makes Soft Opening

For three years, Pratunam Khon Kaen Co. considered its development options for the land it had purchased in Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand. Focused on creating a tourism hub, the development firm wanted attractions that would offer the greatest allure to an area of the country not typically considered a tourist destination.

The company decided on a themed waterpark because no similar entertainment district existed in the area. The park owners invested heavily - US$60 million - in rides and slides that would draw guests from long distances. Their efforts have resulted in the development of not only the region''s largest waterpark but the largest in Southeast Asia.

The new park hosted a soft opening last month with the planned 1st phase waterslides open and plans an official celebration with the opening of all the waterslides in November.

First "Magicone" Waterslide in the Asia

Covering more than 40 acres, Dino Waterpark - as its name suggests - is themed on a time in the earth''s history more than 100 million years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth. During the Jurassic period, great plant-eating dinosaurs fed on lush ferns and palm-like plants while being hunted by smaller, but fierce, carnivorous beasts.

Daino Park Co. Ltd. (based in Seoul, South Korea), the park''s development firm, chose Polin Waterparks for the park''s waterpark attractions due to the wide variety of signature, one-of-a-kind rides that Polin is known for. As a result, the park now is home to one of the company''s newest rides: Magicone.

The Magicone is a high-capacity waterslide with a unique riding experience and design. Shaped like a gigantic funnel tipped on its side, guests enter the streamlined, geometric form by sliding down a steep drop that sends them whirling around the conical interior. The unique parabolic shape creates surprising changes in momentum that give guests a longer, more adrenaline-pumping ride than similar attractions. The slide can end in one of two options: into a pool or as a run-out exit.

Like nearly all of Polin''s attractions, the Magicone is also manufactured using resin transfer molding (RTM) composites technology.