Amphoe

An amphoe (sometimes also amphur, Thai: อำเภอ,  [ʔāmpʰɤ̄ː]) is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as district, amphoe make up the provinces, and are analogous to a county. The chief district officer is the Nai Amphoe (นายอำเภอ). Amphoe are further subdivided into tambon.

Altogether Thailand has 878 districts, not including the 50 districts of Bangkok which are called khet (เขต) since the Bangkok administrative reform of 1972. The number of amphoe in a province differs, from only 3 in the smallest provinces up to the 50 urban districts of Bangkok. Also the sizes and population of the amphoe differs greatly, the lowest population being in Ko Kut (Trat Province) with just 2,042 citizens, while Mueang Samut Prakan (Samut Prakan Province) has 509,262 citizens. The khet of Bangkok have the smallest areas – Khet Samphanthawong is the smallest with only 1.4 km² – while the amphoe of the sparsely populated mountain regions are bigger than some provinces – Umphang (Tak Province) with 4,325.4 km² is the largest and also has the lowest population density.

Provinces of Thailand

Thailand is a unitary state that is subdivided into 76 provinces (Thai: จังหวัด; rtgs: changwat) and one special administrative area representing the capital Bangkok. The provinces are part of the provincial government, while Bangkok is part of the local government.

The provinces

Total land area of Thailand is 513,114 km². Total population of Thailand is 65,118,726.

Governance

Thailand's national government organisation is divided into three types: central government (ministries, bureaus and departments), provincial government (provinces and districts) and local government (Bangkok, Phatthaya City, provincial administrative organisations, etc.).

A province, as part of the provincial government, is administered by a governor (ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด) who is appointed by the Minister of Interior. Bangkok, as part of the local government, is administered by a corporation called Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The corporation is led by the Governor of Bangkok (ผู้ว่าราชการกรุงเทพมหานคร) who is directly elected by the citizens of Bangkok.

Nakhon Sawan

Nakhon Sawan (Thai: นครสวรรค์, pronounced [náʔkʰɔːn sa.wǎn]) is a city (thesaban nakhon) in Thailand, the name literally means "Heavenly City". The city is the capital of Nakhon Sawan Province, and covers the complete subdistrict (tambon) Pak Nam Pho and parts of Khwae Yai, Nakhon Sawan Tok, Nakhon Sawan Ok and Wat Sai, all of Mueang Nakhon Sawan district. As of 2006 it has a population of 93,141. Nakhon Sawan is 238 km north of Bangkok.

Geography

Nakhon Sawan is about 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of Bangkok, and marks the point of confluence of two of Thailands major rivers, the Ping and the Nan. These converge in Nakhon Sawan to form the Chao Phraya which flows south to Bangkok and out into the Gulf of Thailand. The city's surroundings are mostly flat, but in the city itself a hill rises about 110 metres (360 ft) above the plain.

Bueng Boraphet, east of Nakhon Sawan, is Thailand's biggest freshwater swamp.

Climate

Nakhon Sawan has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). It is located in a valley, thus resulting in some of the highest overnight lows in the country, often reaching 33 °C (91 °F) in the summer, and up to 43 °C (109 °F) in the day. Winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until April, which is very hot with the average daily maximum at 38.1 °C (100.6 °F).The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm.

Nakhon Sawan Province

Nakhon Sawan (Thai: นครสวรรค์) is one of the provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Kamphaeng Phet, Phichit, Phetchabun, Lopburi, Sing Buri, Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, and Tak.

Etymology

The word nakhon originates from the Sanskrit word nagara meaning city, and the word sawan from Sanskrit svarga meaning heaven. Hence the name of the province literally means city heaven or heavenly city.

History

Nakhon Sawan was a city since Dvaravati era. While part of the Sukhothai kingdom, it was called Mueang Phra Bang, the southern frontier city of Sukhothai. Later within the Ayutthaya kingdom it was an important trade center because of its location at the two major rivers from the north. It also was the common meeting point of Burmese troops before moving to attack Ayutthaya. In the reign of King Taksin the Great, Phra Bang became a Siamese military base to prevent further Burmese attacks.

When King Mongkut signed the Bowring Treaty with Britain the glorious time of Nakhon Sawan began, as it became the main rice and teak trading centre. However the opening of the Northern railway in 1922, the economic crisis before 1932 revolution, and finally the opening of Dejativongse bridge and Phahonyothin highway in 1950 each decreased the importance of water transportation and thus made Nakhon Sawan less important.

Tourist attraction

A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure, adventure and amusement.

Types

Natural beauty such as beaches, tropical island resorts with coral reefs, hiking and camping in national parks, mountains and forests, are examples of traditional tourist attractions to spend summer vacations. Other examples of cultural tourist attractions include historical places, monuments, ancient temples, zoos, aquaria, museums and art galleries, botanical gardens, buildings and structures (e.g., castles, libraries, former prisons, skyscrapers, bridges), theme parks and carnivals, living history museums, ethnic enclave communities, historic trains and cultural events. Factory tours, industrial heritage, creative art and crafts workshops are the object of cultural niches like industrial tourism and creative tourism. Many tourist attractions are also landmarks.