Kamphaeng Phet Province


Kamphaeng Phet is one of thailand's seventy-six provinces lies in lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, and Tak.

Toponymy

In Thai or Lao kamphaeng means 'wall' and phet means 'diamond'. The name means 'wall as hard as diamond'. This wall served as a defensive line to protect the Ayutthaya Kingdom from what is now modern-day Burma. The old name was Khao Kampeng, referring to a 'mountain wall' between the two countries.

Geography

The main river is the Ping, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River. River flats make up much of the east of the province, while the west is mountainous and covered with forests.
One of the provinces best-known products is bananas, especially the kluai khai, a small, round, sweet banana. Banana festivals are held every year to thank the spirits for the harvest.

History

Kamphaeng Phet was already a royal city in the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 14th century, then known under its old name Chakangrao. It formed an important part of the defence system of the kingdom, as well as later of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows the city walls surmounted by diamonds, since the city name means 'diamond wall'. The provincial tree is the areca nut palm , and the provincial flower the bullet wood. Golden belly barb is provincial fish, since it is a fish found in the Ping river especially in the area of Kamphaeng Phet.

Administrative divisions

provincial government

The province is divided into 11 districts. These are further divided into 78 subdistricts and 823 villages.

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Kamphaeng Phet Provincial Administration Organisation and 25 municipal areas in the province. Kamphaeng Phet, Pang Makha and Nong Pling have town status. Further 22 subdistrict municipalities. The non-municipal areas are administered by 64 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO.

Human achievement index 2017

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index, a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board has taken over this task since 2017.

Notable residents