Caretaker deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop, who recently presided over the library's opening, said the Bt300-million (US$ 7 mil) facility was Thailand's most complete of its kind, boasting more than 20,000 books.

He said it would be useful for Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidayala and Mahamakut Buddhist university students, as well as interested members of the public. The library also plans to develop online content in English, to reach foreign scholars in a bid to make Thailand the world hub for Buddhist studies, he said.