The Maser Monitoring Parkes Project (M2P2) is an ongoing project to observe masers towards high-mass star-forming regions (HMSFRs) using the 64 m CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, Murriyang. In this paper, we outline the project and introduce Stokes-I data from the first two years of observations. For the 63 sightlines observed in this project we identify a total of 1 514 individual maser features: 14.4% of these (203) towards 27 sightlines show significant variability. Most of these (160/203) are seen in the main-line transitions of OH at 1665 and 1667 MHz, but this data set also includes a significant number of variable features in the satellite lines at 1 612 and 1 720 MHz (33 and 10, respectively), most of which (24 and 9, respectively) appear to be associated with the HMSFRs. We divide these features into 4 broad categories based on the behaviour of their intensity over time: flares (6%), periodic (11%), long-term trends (33%), and ‘other’ (50%). Variable masers provide a unique laboratory for the modelling of local environmental conditions of HMSFRs, and follow-up publications will delve into this in more detail.

The Maser Monitoring Organisation is a collection of researchers exploring the use of time-variable maser emission in the investigation of astrophysical phenomena. The forward directed aspects of research primarily involve using maser emission as a tool to investigate star formation. Simultaneously, these activities have deepened knowledge of maser emission itself in addition to uncovering previously unknown maser transitions. Thus a feedback loop is created where both the knowledge of astrophysical phenomena and the utilised tools of investigation themselves are iteratively sharpened. The project goals are open-ended and constantly evolving, however, the reliance on radio observatory maser monitoring campaigns persists as the fundamental enabler of research activities within the group.

Recently, remarkable progress has been made in understanding the formation of high mass stars. Observations provided direct evidence that massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), analogously to low-mass ones, form via disk-mediated accretion accompanied by episodic accretion bursts, possibly caused by disk fragmentation. In the case of MYSOs, the mechanism theoretically provides a means to overcome radiation pressure, but in practice it is poorly studied - only three accretion bursts in MYSOs have been caught in action to date. A significant contribution to the development of the theory has been made with the study of masers, which have proven to be a powerful tool for locating “bursting” MYSOs. This overview focuses on the exceptional role that masers play in the search and study of accretion bursts in massive protostars.

National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Public Organization) initiated a national flagship project in 2017 for development of radio astronomy and geodesy in Thailand. In this project, a 40-m Thai National Radio Telescope (TNRT) and a 13-m VLBI Global Observing System (VGOS) radio telescope as its co-location are constructed in Chiang Mai. The 40-m TNRT is the largest telescope for radio astronomy in South-East Asia. Its flexible operation with a wide-coverage of observable frequencies 0.3-115 GHz will allow us to uniquely contribute to the time-domain astronomy as well as carry out unbiased surveys for a wide variety of science research fields, which were published in a white paper. Within the framework of collaboration with VLBI arrays in the world, TNRT will drastically improve the imaging quality and performances based on its unique geographical location, for both radio astronomy and geodetic VLBI studies in South-East Asia for the first time. On-going commissioning of TNRT particularly in the L-band system (1.0–1.8 GHz) is introduced as well as vision for establishment of forthcoming regional VLBI networks based on TNRT: Thai National VLBI Array and South-East Asian VLBI Network in collaboration with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

We present the results from an ongoing long-term monitoring of the 22 GHz H2O maser in W49N with the 100-m Effelsberg radio telescope from February 2014 to September 2017. The unique Effelsbergs spectral line observation capability provides a broad velocity range coverage from −500 to +500 km s−1 with a spectral resolution better than 0.1 km/s. Following the strong major outburst in W49N in late 2013, we have started a long-term monitoring programme at Effelsberg. The major outburst feature (up to 80,000 Jy at VLSR − 98 km s−1) faded away by June 2014. However, we found that the site is still active with several high velocity outbursts (both blue and redshifted). Some features appear at extremely high velocities (up to ±280 km s−1) and show rapid flux variations within a 1-2 month period. This sub-year scale variability implies that the water masers could be excited by episodic shock propagation caused by a high-velocity protostellar jet.

We report a multi-wavelength study of a recent major flare (~ 80,000 Jy at VLSR ~ -98.1 km s−1) of the 22-GHz water maser in W49A. In February 2014, we started monthly monitoring with the Effelsberg 100-m radio telescope. In May 2014, we carried out the nearly simultaneous observations of the 22-GHz transition with selected submillimeter water transitions using the IRAM 30-m telescope (at 183 GHz) and the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) 12-m telescope (from 321 to 475 GHz). We have also performed interferometric observations using the NRAO Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 22 GHz and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) at 321 and 325 GHz. One remarkable result is the detection of very high velocity emission features in several transitions. Our data also represent its first detection of the 475-GHz water transition in a star-forming region. Studying these multiple masing transitions in conjunction with theoretical modeling of their excitation not only places strong constraints on the physical conditions of the masing gas but also allows us to study their association with the embedded massive stellar cluster in W49A.

The bright and narrow spectral line emission of masers is ideal for measuring the Zeeman-splitting as well as for determining the orientation of magnetic fields in 3-dimensions around massive protostars. Recently, polarization observations at milliarcsecond resolution of 6.7-GHz CH3OH masers have uniquely been able to resolve the morphology of magnetic fields close to massive protostars. The observations reveal that the magnetic fields are along outflows and/or on the surfaces of circumstellar tori. Here we present three different examples selected from a total number of 7 massive star-forming regions that were investigated at 6.7-GHz with the EVN in the last years.

During the last few years, Thailand has seen a significant change in the way astronomical research and education is pursued in the country. The government has approved the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) which aims to develop not only astronomical research but also astronomy education at all levels, both in formal and informal education. A framework of national key projects exists which includes national facilities, national collaborative research networks, teacher training and public outreach programmes. Examples of these programmes will be presented in this paper.

Astronomy development in Thailand has improved significantly during the last few years. The government has approved the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT). Roles of NARIT in the development astronomical research and astronomy education in Thailand includes a national framework, national facilities, collaborative research networks, teacher training and public outreach programmes. The new 2.4-metre reflecting telescope will serve not only astronomy community in Thailand but also in Southeast Asia.