The province stretches from the upper plains of the Chao Phraya River valley, to forested mountains in the west. The Sakae Krang River, a tributary of the Chao Phraya River, is the main watercourse of in the province. The Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, at the western boundary bordering Tak Province, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1991. It covers 2,574 km2 and is home to most of the forest animals of Southeast Asia, including tigers and elephants.
History
Originally Mon and Lawa settled in the area. The first Thai settlement in the area was Muang U Thai during the Sukhothai Kingdom, but it was later abandoned when the river changed course. The Patabeut people, of Karen ethnicity, revived the settlement at its current site during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It served as a fort protecting the boundary of the kingdom. Uthai Thani is the hometown of the father ofKing Rama I. Rama I renamed the city from its old name Uthai to Uthai Thani. In 1892, King Chulalongkorn added the area of Uthai Thani to the Monthon Nakhon Sawan and in 1898 formed the province.
Symbols
The provincial seal depicts the pavilion at Wat Khao Sakae Krang. It houses the statue of Thongdee, the father of King Rama I and a Buddha footprint. The mountain in the background symbolizes the location of the pavilion on top of Khao Sakae Krang. The provincial flower is the yellow cotton tree. The provincial tree is the neem. The flag of Uthai Thani depicts the provincial seal of Uthai Thani in the middle. The yellow colour at the top of the flag is the colour of the Chakri dynasty, symbolizing gold. The green colour at the bottom is the colour of King Rama I as he was born on a Wednesday, which is associated with green in the Thai calendar. The text below the seal says Uthai Thani Province.
Administrative divisions
Provincial government
The province is divided into eight districts. These are further divided into 70 subdistricts and 642 villages.
Local government
As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Uthai Thani Provincial Administration Organisation and 14 municipal areas in the province. Uthai Thani has town status. There are a further 13 subdistrict municipalities. The non-municipal areas are administered by 49 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations .
