Phang Nga and Khaolak travel information and local guide
Phang-Nga is a primarily agricultural province in the south of Thailand.
The chief cash crop is rubber, and rubber plantations cover a considerable
area, especially noticeable along the roads. Aside from that,however,
large areas are also given to food crops. Considerable amounts of rice,
vegetables and fruits are produced in Phang-Nga. Phang-Nga province has
an area of 4,170 sq. kms., a large part of which is forest.
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Phang-nga is a primarily agricultural province in the south of Thailand.
The chief cashcrop is rubber and rubber plantations cover a considerable
area, especially noticeable along the roads. Aside from that, however,
large areas are also given to food crops ; considerable amounts of rice,
vegetables and fruits are produced in Phang-nga.
Pupulation was 231,649 as of December 31, 1998
From Phang-Nga city to its districts
- Kuraburi 125 kms.
- Thap Put 26 kms.
- Kapong 47 kms.
- Takua Thung 14 kms.
- Takua Pa No.4090 59 kms.
- Takua Pa No.4 129 kms.
- Thai Meuang 57 kms.
- Ko Yao 138 kms.
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From Phang-Nga city to nearby provinces
- Ranong 226 kms.
- Surat Thani 196 kms.
- Krabi 86 kms.
- Phuket 87 kms.
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Ancient
recoreds reveal that before establishment of the current dynasty in the
late 18th century, the area called Phang-nga was a district attached to
Takuapa, the leading town thereabouts. Then with the beginning of theRattanakosin
Dynasty, during the reign of Rama I, Phang-nga was given equal status
with Takuapa and another nearby town, Takuatung, and all three were removed
from the governments Harbour department and put under the Ministry
of defence.
The best evedence indicates that Phang Nga was officially established
in 1809 during the reign of Rama II, when one of the periods wars with
Burma was raging.The King there, Padung Kasatri appointed Ah Terng Woon
to lead an invasion force the attck on Thailands southern towns.
The ship-borne army carried off the populations of Takuatung and Thalang
(in Phuket). Thalang was razed to the ground. An army under the direction
of a royal prince was therefore sent from Bangkok to drive off the attackers.
While the war was raging some of the local people took refuge at a place
then called Kra Punga * (Malay for river mouth of Pu-nga) protected on
all sides by mountains.
After the razing of Thalang, it was the governments view that Thailands
hold on the area had weakened and that a new town should be established
in its stead. Thus the citizenry left in the Thalang area was instructed
to move to Kra Pu-nga and register themselves as being resident there.
There is still a village in what is today Takuatung District called Thalang
founded by those immigrants from Phuket. The new city was put under the
administration of the government in Nakorn Sri Thammarat.
During the reign of Rama III, the central government thought to strengthen
the southwest coastal town that were prey to successive Burmese attacks
by appointing a governor fo rthe province who reported directly to Bangkok.
Praya Borirak Puton (Sang Na Nakorn) thereby becme first governor of Phang-nga
in 1840. In the same year, Takuatung was reduced in status and became
merely a district of Phang-nga.
All during this period tin mining was booming, and as one of the most
tin-rich of Thailands tin bearing locales, Phang-nga attracted increasing
attention from the central government because of its importance as a foreign
exchange earner. When the worldwide economic depression of the 1930s struck.
Thailand, Phang-ngas status was further enhanced by incorporation
of Takuapa as a district (1931).
One of Phang-nga towns most beautiful old buildings is the Provincial
Hall. The first such structure was built in Ban Chai Kai; a larger one
was constructed in 1930 at Ban Tai Chang. The present structure near Poong
Chang Cave was built in 1972.
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