Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

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Nakhon Si Thammarat Province (City of Nakhon Si Thammarat) จังหวัดนครศรีธรรมราช
Province
Wat Phra Mahathat
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Nakhon Si or Nakornsri (นครศรีฯ) Muangkhon (เมืองคอน)
Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Coordinates: 8°25′7″N 99°57′49″E / 8.41861°N 99.96361°E / 8.41861; 99.96361Coordinates: 8°25′7″N 99°57′49″E / 8.41861°N 99.96361°E / 8.41861; 99.96361
Country	Thailand
Capital	Nakhon Si Thammarat
Government
• Governor	Kraisorn Wisitwong (since October 2020)[1]
Area [2]
• Total	9,943 km2 (3,839 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 18th
Population  (2018)[3]
• Total	1,560,433
• Rank	Ranked 8th
• Density	157/km2 (410/sq mi)
• Density rank	Ranked 26th
Human Achievement Index [4]
• HAI (2017)	0.5687 "average" Ranked 55th
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code	80xxx
Calling code	075
ISO 3166 code	TH-80
Website	www.nakhonsithammarat.go.th

Nakhon Si Thammarat Province (City of Nakhon Si Thammarat)(Thai: จังหวัดนครศรีธรรมราช, pronounced [ná(ʔ).kʰɔ̄ːn sǐː tʰām.mā.râːt̚]; often shortened to Nakhon Si, Nakhon Si Thammarat) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, on the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from south clockwise) Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Krabi and Surat Thani.^[5]

The name of the province derives from its Pali–Sanskrit name Nagara Sri Dhammaraja ('City of the Sacred Dharma King'), which in Thai pronunciation becomes "Nakhon Si Thammarat", Thai people's call Nakhon Si Thammarat short name's is a Muangkhon (Thai: เมืองคอน), Nakhon Si or Nakornsri (Thai: นครศรี), Nakhon (Thai: นคร), Kornsri (Thai: คอนศรี), and call Nakhon Si Thammarat People's is a Konkhon (Thai: ฅนคอน or คนคอน)

As of 2018, the population of the province was 1,560,433 persons.^[3]

Geography[]

The province is on the Gulf of Thailand on the east side of the Malay Peninsula. The terrain is mostly rugged hilly forest. The province is home to south Thailand's highest peak, Khao Luang, at 1,835 metres (6,000 ft), now protected in Khao Luang National Park.^[6] The total forest area is 1,820 km² (700 sq mi) or 18.4 percent of provincial area.^[7]

Nakhon Si Thammarat City Pillar Shrine

Environment[]

Forested peat swamp forests cover more than 9,900 hectares on the borders of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, and Songkhla Provinces. About 800 hectares of the peat swamp were destroyed by 88 fires in the first half of 2019. The Royal Forest Department says that most of the fires in the Khuan Khreng peat swamp forest were man-made. Criminals clear the forest for the illegal expansion of rubber and oil palm plantations. Honey collectors and fishermen were also complicit as they burn grass to catch fish or to collect wild honey. Khuan Khreng peat swamp was hit by drought in what is normally the rainy season making it susceptible to arson. The forest is surrounded by oil palm plantations and surface water in the forest has been drained out to feed the plantations.^[8]

The province is home to Khao Luang National Park and Hat Khanom–Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park.

Economy[]

Tourism has become a first-tier tourist province, as defined by the central government, joining 22 other first-tier provinces. In 2019, it is projected to receive four million tourists—80% of them domestic—largely attracted by religious sites. They contributed more than 11 billion baht to the provincial economy. The Airports Department plans to expand Nakhon Si Thammarat airport runways and terminal by 2022 to deal with an anticipated increase in international flights to support foreign visitor arrivals. The province has 320 hotels with 8,800 rooms, up from 310 hotels and 7,000 rooms in 2018.^[9]

Symbols[]

The provincial seal shows the Phra Baromathat chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat Voramahavihan, one of the most important historical sites in southern Thailand. According to the city chronicle it was already built in 311, but archaeology dates it to the 13th century. The chedi was built by the ruler of Malay Buddha Kingdom of Tambralinga, named Chandrabhanu Sridhamaraja of The Patama Vamsa (Lotus Dynasty). The chedi is surrounded by the animals of the Chinese zodiac in the seal. The twelve animals represent the twelve Naksat cities or city-states which were tributary to the Nakhon Si Thammarat kingdom: the Rat of Saiburi; the Ox of Pattani; the Tiger of Kelantan; the Rabbit of Pahang (actually a city in Pahang which is said to be submerged by a lake now); the Dragon of Kedah; the Snake of Phatthalung; the Horse of Trang; the Goat of Chumphon; the Monkey of Bantaysamer (might be Chaiya, or a town in Krabi Province); the Rooster of Sa-ulau (unidentified city, might be Songkhla, Kanchanadit or Pla Tha); the Dog of Takua Pa and a Pig of Kraburi.^[10]

The provincial flower is the Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula), and the provincial tree is Millettia atropurpurea.^[11]

The provincial slogan is เมืองประวัติศาสตร์ พระธาตุทองคำ ชื่นฉ่ำธรรมชาติ แร่ธาตุอุดม เครื่องถมสามกษัตริย์ มากวัดมากศิลป์ ครบสิ้นกุ้งปู, which translates to "A historical town, the golden Phra That, plentiful minerals, three-metal nielloware, numerous temples, abundant shellfish."^[11]

Administrative divisions[]

Map of 23 districts

Provincial government[]

Nakhon Si Thammarat is divided into 23 districts (amphoes). The districts are further divided into 165 subdistricts (tambons) and 1428 villages (mubans).

Local government[]

As of 26 November 2019, there are:^[12] one Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 54 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Nakhon Si Thammarat has (thesaban nakhon) status. Pak Phun, Thung Son and Pak Panang have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 50 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 130 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).^[3]

Transport[]

Nakhon Si Thammarat is served by Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport and the Nakhon Si Thammarat Railway Station.

Education[]

Universities[]

Public universities[]

• Walailak University^[13]
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University
• Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya
  • College of Industrial Technology and Management
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat Saiyai Campus
  • Nakhon Si Thammarat Thungyai Campus
• Thaksin University
  • Management for Development College, Nakhon Si Thammarat Education Center
• Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Nakhon Si Thammarat Campus
• Mahamakut Buddhist University, Sithammasokkarat Campus
• Ramkhamhaeng University, Nakhon Si Thammarat Regional Campus in Honour of His Majesty the King
• Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Nakhon Si Thammarat Regional Distance Education Center
• Boromarajonani College of Nursing Nakhon Si Thammarat

Vocational colleges[]

Public vocational colleges[]

• Nakhon Si Thammarat Technical College
• Thung Song Technical College
• Sichon Technical College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Seaboard Industrial College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Polytechnic College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Vocational College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Arts and Crafts College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Agriculture and Technology
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Industrial and Community Education College
• Hua Sai Industrial and Community Education College
• Phrom Khiri Industrial and Community Education College
• Nakhon Si Thammarat Colleges of Dramatic Arts
• Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Fine Arts

Private vocational colleges[]

• Innovation Technological College
• Jaruspichakorn College of Technology
• Satapat Nakhon Technological College
• Thurakit Bundit Technological College
• Nakhon Commercial Vocational College
• Prateesasana Business Administration College
• Thaksin Vocational Technological College
• Pakphanang Vocational College
• Southern Technological College
• Thungsong Commercial College
• Charoenmit Commercial Technological College
• Sichon Commercial Technological College
• Virasinpin Vocational College
• Sakdisilpin Commercial School

Human achievement index 2017[]

Health	Education	Employment	Income
23	24	65	33
Housing	Family	Transport	Participation
46	61	39	66
Province Nakhon Si Thammarat, with an HAI 2017 value of 0.5687 is "somewhat low", occupies place 55 in the ranking.

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.^[4]

showMap with provinces and HAI 2017 rankings

Sports[]

Football[]

Volleyball clubs[]

See also[]

• Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

• Nakhon Si Thammarat travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Website of province (Thai)
• Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp
• Everything in Nakhon Si Thammarat
• Tambralinga