Nakhon Ratchasima (province)

Nakhon Ratchasima
นครราชสีมา
statistics
Capital:	Nakhon Ratchasima
Telephone code:	044
Surface:	20,494 km² 1.
Residents:	2,492,300 (2017) 2.
Population density :	122 E / km² 33.
ISO 3166-2 :
Governor :
map

Shrine with the city pillar ( Lak Müang ) of Nakhon Ratchasima

Nakhon Ratchasima ( Thai นครราชสีมา , pronunciation: [ nákʰɔːn râtt͡ɕʰasǐːmaː ], also Khorat or Korat ) is a province ( Changwat ) in the northeast region of Thailand , the Isan . It is the largest province in the country and has the second largest population after Bangkok . As the province of the northeast closest to the central region, it is considered the "gateway to Isan". It also has the greatest economic output among the north-eastern provinces.

The capital of the province is also called Nakhon Ratchasima .

geography

The province lies on the southwestern edge of the Khorat plateau . Its western border is marked by the Don Phaya Yen Mountains , the southern by the Sankamphaeng Mountains . The Mae Nam Mun (Mun River) flows through it.

Neighboring provinces:
north	Chaiyaphum and Khon Kaen
east	Buri Ram
south	Sa Kaeo , Prachin Buri and Nakhon Nayok
west	Saraburi and Lop Buri

Important places

• Phimai
• Prakhon Chai

climate

Nakhon Ratchasima
Climate diagram
J F. M. A. M. J J A. S. O N D.     5.9   31 18th     18th   34 21st     37   36 23     64   37 25th     141   35 25th     108   34 25th     114   34 24     146   33 24     222   32 24     143   31 23     27   30th 21st     2.8   29 18th Temperature in ° C ,  precipitation in mm Source: World Meteorological Organization ; wetterkontor.de

Monthly average temperatures and rainfall for Nakhon Ratchasima Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 30.9 33.6 35.8 36.6 35.1 34.4 33.9 33.2 32.2 30.9 29.7 29.1 O 32.9 Min. Temperature (° C) 17.9 20.5 22.8 24.5 24.7 24.8 24.3 24.2 23.7 22.9 20.5 17.6 O 22.4 Precipitation ( mm ) 5.9 17.8 37.1 63.5 140.5 108.3 113.7 146.2 221.6 143.4 27.3 2.8 Σ 1,028.1 Hours of sunshine ( h / d ) 9.2 8.7 8.2 8.3 7.7 7.0 6.3 6.0 5.6 7.5 8.6 9.1 O 7.7 Rainy days ( d ) 0.9 2.2 5.1 7.7 13.8 13.3 13.5 16.4 18.1 12.2 4.0 0.7 Σ 107.9 Humidity ( % ) 68 65 66 69 76 76 77 79 83 82 77 72 O 74.2 Source: World Meteorological Organization ; wetterkontor.de

population

The majority of the province's population is of mixed origins, mainly Thai and Khmer descendants . This is due to the fact that settlers from central Thailand (including demobilized soldiers) settled here after the conquest by the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1756 and mixed with Khmer and Kuy who were previously present. It was mainly the central Thai culture that prevailed. Their language, Khorat Thai, is one of the Central Thai dialects, but has its own sound system . Nakhon Ratchasima differs from most of the provinces of Isan (80%), where the majority population are ethnic Lao who speak the Isan language . The staple food in the province is therefore not the sticky rice typical of Isan , but rather non-glutinous rice varieties, as are common in central Thailand or Cambodia.

According to the 2000 census data, 99.8% of the population were Thai citizens and 99.1% were Buddhists. Only 0.1% were Muslim, 0.2% spoke mainly Khmer .

Economy and Importance

In 2011, the province's gross provincial product was 202.014 billion baht . This is the highest value of any province in Isan. However, this corresponds to an economic output of 71,405 baht (2,327 US dollars) per capita, not even half the national average in Thailand.

Data

The table below shows the share of the economic sectors in the gross provincial product in%.

Industry	2006	2007	2008
Agriculture	17.4	19.8	19.6
Industry	21.6	20.8	19.8
Other	61.0	59.4	60.6

All figures in%

The most important industries in 2011 were manufacturing (39.296 billion Baht), agriculture (20.992 billion Baht) and wholesale and retail (17.082 billion Baht).

Wetlands and agriculture

The province of Nakhon Ratchasima has a total of 346 wetlands with an area of ​​37.4 km², which are used more or less intensively for agriculture .

history

Prehistory and early history

The oldest significant archaeological sites in the province are Ban Lum Khao and Ban Prasat ( Amphoe Non Sung ). Graves, clay vessels and bronze artifacts from the 1st millennium BC were found there. Excavated. In addition, the earliest evidence of iron processing was discovered in Ban Tam Yae ( Amphoe Phimai ). The remains of a 7th century moat town are in Mueang Sema ( Amphoe Sung Noen ). It existed parallel to the Dvaravati culture of central Thailand, but was not part of it itself, but probably belonged to the Indianized kingdom of Śri Canāśa , perhaps even its capital, Cānāśapura .

Khmer period

Prasat Hin Phimai

From around the 10th to the 14th century, the area of ​​the Nakhon Ratchasima province then belonged to the sphere of influence of the Khmer empire of Angkor . Phimai ( Amphoe Phimai ) was one of the most important centers of this empire, the remains of this city, particularly the main temple Prasat Hin Phimai , are preserved in a historical park. Other monuments of this era are the Hindu temple complex Prasat Hin Phanom Wan ( Amphoe Mueang ) and the closely spaced temple ruins Prasat Mueang Khaek and Prasat Non Ku ( Amphoe Sung Noen ), which could have belonged to the historical city of Gorākhapura (see Nakhon Ratchasima # name ) .

Ayutthaya period

After the founding of the Siamese kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1351 until the capture of Angkor by its troops in 1431, the border area between the two kingdoms ran through Nakhon Ratchasima, there were episodic campaigns with theft of goods and people on both sides. In the 16th century, Khorat was one of the first class provinces as an outpost against the Khmer Empire. Even after the fall of Angkor, the provincial capital was again captured by Cambodian troops in the 1630s and the population dragged off. At the beginning of King Narai's reign in 1657, it was conquered again by Ayutthaya. As a result of the border location and multiple changes of rulership, the current population of the province is of mixed ancestry of Thai and Khmer. Narai had Khorat expanded to the northeastern bastion of his empire and gave him the status of a province of "second order", which was ruled by a high-ranking official and the five smaller provinces were subordinate. In times of crisis, the governors of Nakhon Ratchasima even showed aspirations for independence, for example in the first three years after the usurpation of Phetrachas in 1688 and after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767, until the new king Taksin was able to incorporate this province into his new kingdom of Thonburi .

Rattanakosin period

Khorat was repeatedly the starting point for campaigns against the eastern Lao and Khmer countries , even after Bangkok became the capital of Siam in 1782 and the Chakri dynasty had taken over the throne ( Rattanakosin period). The governors of Nakhon Ratchasima, who carried the high feudal title Chao Phraya , were politically very influential and enjoyed extensive independence. The governorship was passed from father to son in a separate dynasty. They were closely connected to the Chakri kings and acted as agents of Bangkok in the northeast. Khorat was known as the "gateway to the northeast". The provincial lords also benefited personally from the trade in goods from the Lao and Khmer states, which Siam had to pay tribute to. So they urged that Müang (autonomous small states) of the Lao on the Khorat Plateau, which until then belonged to the rulership of the vassal kingdom of Vientiane - like Roi Et and Yasothon - became provinces under the direct control of Bangkok. They also had a great interest in campaigns to suppress the independence movements of the Lao and Khmer.

During the rebellion of King Anuvong of Vientiane, Khorat was captured by Lao troops in early 1827. Allegedly the wife of the governor at the time, Khun Ying Mo, organized a festival together with other women, apparently to honor the supposed winners, but actually to get them drunk and then beat them and drive them away. In any case, King Rama III awarded her . after the Siamese victory in this war the honorary name Thao Suranari . Whether the episode is just a legend or a historical event is debatable. Many residents of Khorat believe in it and worship Thao Suranari as the patron saint of the province.

Khorat was the destination of the first long-distance railway line in Thailand, the so-called " Khoratbahn ". It was built from 1891 onwards with significant participation by German engineers and was completed in 1900. In 1893, Nakhon Ratchasima was the first province in which Prince Damrong Rajanubhab , interior minister under King Rama V (Chulalongkorn), introduced the centralized thesaphiban administration system in order to disempower the quasi-dynastic governors and to make financial administration, police and justice more efficient and uniform and to minimize corruption and arbitrariness. Here was the seat of the General Commissioner for the Monthon Nakhon Ratchasima, to which, in addition to the province of the same name, the provinces Buri Ram , Chaiyaphum , Phetchabun and Lom Sak also belonged (the latter two only until 1899). The Monthon were dissolved again after the end of the absolute monarchy in 1933 and Nakhon Ratchasima, like all provinces, was directly subordinated to the central government. In October 1933, Khorat was a base of the royalist counter-rebellion of Prince Boworadet , which was crushed by the troops of the constitutional government.

Contemporary history

After the United States entered the Vietnam War in 1964, the US Air Force stationed bombers in Khorat at the invitation of the Thai government. During the ultimately unsuccessful coup attempt by the Thai “ Young Turks ” on April 1, 1981, both the then Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda and the royal family fled to the army base in this province. In the course of the 1980s, the urban population in the province tripled, and its once-agricultural economy became heavily industrialized.

Attractions

• Ban Kho - about 14 kilometers northeast of Nakhon Ratchasima: here is Wat Prasat Phanom Wan , a sanctuary from the 11th century. The floor plan is similar to that of Prast Hin Phimai. The temple was originally built to worship the Hindu god Shiva . It was not until the Ayutthaya period that it became a Buddhist temple ( Wat ). Today there are several gilded Buddha statues from more recent times.
• Wat Prasat Hin Non Ku - about 37 kilometers west of Nakhon Ratchasima: remarkable Khmer temple, which is laid out on a square terrace, with sculptures from the 10th century.
• Phimai Historical Park - the best preserved Khmer city on the soil of Thailand, with a still preserved city gate and extensive temple complex in the style of Angkor . It is located in the Phimai district .

Symbols

Statue of the Thao Suranari

The seal of the province shows Thao Suranari (1772-1852), one of the local heroines. She was the wife of the governor and, according to legend, gathered the population of the area against the troops of Lao King Anuvong of Vientiane , who marched on Bangkok ( Anuvong Rebellion ) in 1826 . In recognition of her bravery, the king gave her the title Thao Suranari.

The local tree is Millettia leucantha .

The motto of Nakhon Ratchasima Province is:

"The city of the lady who showed heroic valor,

The city is known for the most valuable Thai silk ,

Khorat noodles and the largest old stone buildings are well known,

The unique Dan Kwian pottery made of special clay is characteristic of the city. "

education

The Technical University of Rajamangala Isan , the Rajabhat University of Nakhon Ratchasima and the Suranaree University of Technology have their headquarters in this province.

traffic

Nakhon Ratchasima fulfills a function as the "gateway to Isan". It is connected to the central region via the Thanon Mittraphap (National Road 2). This continues through the northern provinces of Isan (Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Nong Khai) to the Laotian border. From it branches off the national road 24, which connects Nakhon Ratchasima with the southern provinces of Isan (Buriram, Surin, Si Saket, Ubon Ratchathani).

The north-eastern line of the Thai state railway also forks here: Coming from Bangkok's main train station in Hua Lamphong , one branch continues via Khon Kaen and Udon Thani to Nong Khai, another via Surin to Ubon Ratchathani.

Nakhon Ratchasima has one regional airport ( Nakhon Ratchasima Airport ). However, there is currently no passenger service there.

Administrative units

Provincial Administration

The province of Nakhon Ratchasima is divided into 32 amphoe ('districts' or 'counties'). These in turn are divided into 293 tambon ('sub-districts' or 'municipalities') and these are further subdivided into 3423 muban ('village communities'). Nakhon Ratchasima is the province with the most amphoe .

Amphoe (counties) Amphoe (counties) Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima ( อำเภอ เมือง นครราชสีมา ) Amphoe Khon Buri ( อำเภอ ครบุรี ) Amphoe Soeng Sang ( อำเภอ เสิงสาง ) Amphoe Khong ( อำเภอ คง ) Amphoe Ban Lueam ( อำเภอ บ้านเหลื่อม ) Amphoe Chakkarat ( อำเภอ จักราช ) Amphoe Chok Chai ( อำเภอ โชคชัย ) Amphoe Dan Khun Thot ( อำเภอ ด่านขุนทด ) Amphoe Non Thai ( อำเภอ โนนไทย ) Amphoe Non Sung ( อำเภอ โนนสูง ) Amphoe Kham Sakaesaeng ( อำเภอ ขามสะแกแสง ) Amphoe Bua Yai ( อำเภอ บัวใหญ่ ) Amphoe Prathai ( อำเภอ ประทาย ) Amphoe Pak Thong Chai ( อำเภอ ปักธงชัย ) Amphoe Phimai ( อำเภอ พิมาย ) Amphoe Huai Thalaeng ( อำเภอ ห้วยแถลง ) Amphoe Chum Phuang ( อำเภอ ชุมพวง ) Amphoe Sung Noen ( อำเภอ สูงเนิน ) Amphoe Kham Thale So ( อำเภอ ขามทะเลสอ ) Amphoe Sikhio ( อำเภอ สีคิ้ว ) Amphoe Pak Chong ( อำเภอ ปากช่อง ) Amphoe Nong Bun Mak ( อำเภอ หนอง บุญ มาก ) Amphoe Kaeng Sanam Nang ( อำเภอ แก้ง สนาม นาง ) Amphoe Non Daeng ( อำเภอ โนน แดง ) Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao ( อำเภอ วัง น้ำ เขียว ) Amphoe Thepharak ( อำเภอ เทพารักษ์ ) Amphoe Mueang Yang ( อำเภอ เมือง ยาง ) Amphoe Phra Thong Kham ( อำเภอ พระ ทองคำ ) Amphoe Lam Thamenchai ( อำเภอ ลำ ทะ เมน ชัย ) Amphoe Bua Lai ( อำเภอ บัว ลาย ) Amphoe Sida ( อำเภอ สี ดา ) Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat ( อำเภอ เฉลิมพระเกียรติ )

Map of the Amphoe

Local administration

A provincial administrative organization ( บริหาร ส่วน จังหวัด , อบ จ for short , Ongkan Borihan suan Changwat ; English Provincial Administrative Organization , PAO) exists for the entire area of ​​the province .

In the province there are also 90 thesaban ('municipalities') - including a "big city" (the provincial capital), four "cities" (Pak Chong, Bua Yai, Mueang Pak and Si Khio) and 85 "small towns". There are also 243 tambon administrative organizations for the rural areas that do not belong to any municipality.

Well-known sons and daughters of the province

• Thao Suranari (Khun Ying Mo; 1772–1852), governor's wife, local heroine
• Khamsing Srinawk (* 1930), writer
• Suthep Wongkamhaeng (* 1934), pop singer
• Kalaya Sophonpanich (* 1940), nuclear physicist and politician (former Minister of Science)
• Pracha Promnok (* 1942), police general (former general director of the national party), politician (former deputy prime minister, multiple minister)
• Wannarat Channukul (* 1949), politician (chairman of the Chart Pattana Party , former Minister of Industry and Energy)
• Itthaporn Subhawong (* 1952), Air Force General (former Commander in Chief of the Air Force)
• Prayut Chan-o-cha (* 1954), General (former Commander-in-Chief of the Army), Prime Minister
• Noppadon Pattama (* 1961), lawyer and politician (former foreign minister)
• Prachya Pinkaew (* 1962), film director, producer and screenwriter
• Seksan Sukpimai "Sek LOSO " (* 1974), rock musician
• Somjit Jongjohor (* 1975), boxer
• Pongsaklek Wonjongkam (born 1977), boxer
• Suriya Prasathinphimai (born 1980), boxer
• Udomporn Polsak (* 1981), weightlifter
• Anon Sangsanoi (* 1984), soccer player

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} Grabowsky: The Isan up to its Integration into the Siamese State. In: Regions and National Integration in Thailand, 1892-1992. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden 1995, ISBN 3-447-03608-7 , pp. 107–129, on p. 115.
2. ^ William A. Smalley: Linguistic Diversity and National Unity. Language Ecology in Thailand. University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1994, pp. 111-112.
3. ^ Grabowsky: The Isan up to its Integration into the Siamese State. 1995, at pp. 108-109.
4. ↑ Key indicators of the population and households, Population and Housing Census 1990 and 2000: Trang
5. ↑ Thailand in Figures (2011)
6. ↑ Edmund JV Oh, Blake D. Ratner, Simon Bush, Komathi Kolandai and Terence Y. Too (eds.): Wetlands Governance in the Mekong Region: country reports on the legal-institutional framework and economic valuation of aquatic resources . 2005.
7. ^ Robert L. Brown: The Dvāravatī Wheels of the Law and the Indianization of South East Asia. Brill, Leiden 1996, ISBN 90-04-10435-6 , pp. 25, 29.
8. ^ David K. Wyatt : Thailand. A short history. 2nd edition, Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai 2004, p. 59.
9. ^ Volker Grabowsky : Brief history of Thailand. CH Beck, Munich 2010, ISBN 978-3-406-60129-3 , p. 46.
10. ↑ Ben Kiernan: Blood and Soil. A World History of Genocide and Exterminsation from Sparta to Darfur. Yale University Press, New Haven CT 2007, p. 157.
11. ^ Grabowsky: Brief history of Thailand. 2010, p. 90.
12. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 108.
13. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 123.
14. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 143.
15. ↑ ^{a b} Mayoury Ngaosyvathn, Pheuiphanh Ngaosyvathn: Paths to Conflagration. Fifty Years of Diplomacy and Warfare in Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, 1778–1828. Cornell Southeast Asia Program, Ithaca NY 1998, p. 54.
16. ^ Marc Askew: From glory to ruins. In: Vientiane. Transformations of a Lao Landscape. Routledge, Abingdon / New York 2007, p. 65.
17. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 154.
18. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 194.
19. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 237.
20. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 278.
21. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 296.
22. ^ Wyatt: Thailand. 2004, p. 302.

literature

• Thailand in Figures . 13. A. Nonthaburi: Alpha Research 2011. ISBN 9786167526034 .

Web links

Commons : Nakhon Ratchasima  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Nakhon Ratchasima Province Tourist Information - Tourism Authority of Thailand TAT website (in English)
• Overview map of the province (names in English and Thai) [last accessed on November 13, 2013]

Coordinates: 14 ° 58 '  N , 102 ° 6'  E