Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Nakhon Ratchasima นครราชสีมา
—  Province  —
Statue of Lady Mo in Khorat city centre
Seal
Nickname(s): Khorat
Nakhon Ratchasima in    Thailand
Capital	Nakhon Ratchasima
Government
• Governor	Rapee Phongbupakit
Area
• Total	20,494.0 km2 (7,912.8 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 1st
Population (2011)
• Total	2,585,325
• Rank	Ranked 2nd
• Density	Bad rounding here130/km2 (Bad rounding here330/sq mi)
• Density rank	Ranked 34th
Human Development Index
• HDI (2010)	0.659 (medium)
Postal code	30xxx
Calling code	044
Vehicle registration	นครราชสีมา
Pattani control[citation needed]	1603
Siamese control	1842
Japanese occupation	1942-1945
Accession into Federation of Malaya	1948
Website	www.nakhonratchasima.go.th

Nakhon Ratchasima or Khorat is a province of Thailand. The capital is Nakhon Ratchasima.

Nakhon Ratchasima is positioned in the north-east of Thailand. It is bordered by Chaiyaphum to the north, Sa Kaeo to the south-east, Saraburi to the west, and Prachin Buri to the south. To the north-east of Nakhon Ratchasima is the Khon Kaen.

History

Phimai historical park

Chumpol Gate

The name Khorat is said, by some, to be a corruption of nakhon rat, i.e. the Thai word for the royal kingdom. Other theories claim the name comes from the Indian word gorakhpur. Khorat was called Koreach (Khmer: គោរាជ) by the Khmer when it was under their influence.

The area around Khorat was already an important center in the times of the Khmer empire in the 11th century, as can be seen by the temple ruins in the Phimai historical park. Still, Nakhon Ratchasima Province is one of the provinces where there is a sizable Northern Khmer population.

A new walled-city with a surrounding moat, designated as Nakhon Ratchasima, was built in the seventeenth century by order of the King Narai, as the easternmost 'command post', guarding the Kingdom's border and supervising its Lao and Cambodian 'vassals'. It continued this duty during the Bangkok Period, although it was seized by deceit during Chao Anuwong of Vientiane's 1826 revolt against the King Rama III of Siam.

Nakhon Ratchasima has long been the most important political and economic center in the northeastern region. In the late nineteenth century, the railroad reached Khorat became the junction of two main rail lines in the Northeastern, Isan, region.

In 1933 it was the stronghold of the royalist troops in the Boworadej Revolt, against the new ostensibly democratic government in Bangkok.

In the 1970s, the province was the site of United States military bases supporting the Vietnam War.

Geography

Khao Yai National Park

The province is located on the western end of the Khorat Plateau, separated from the Chao Phraya river valley by the Phetchabun and Dong Phaya Yen mountain ranges. Two national parks are in the province - the Khao Yai in the west and the Thab Lan in the south. Both parks are in the forested mountains of the Sankamphaeng Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains

Nakhon Ratchasima, or "Khorat," is a large province on the northeastern plateau and acts as a gateway to other provinces in the Northeast. It is 259 kilometres (161 mi) from Bangkok and has an area of around 20,494 square kilometres (7,913 sq mi), making it the biggest Thai province. The province is rich in Khmer culture and has a long history.

In the early 1980s, trunk roads were built to link it with nearby provinces. Presently, one can travel by road from the capital city Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima through the mountain range within 5 hours.

Climate

Nakhon Ratchasima has a tropical climate, with temperatures from 21 to 32 °C and intermittent rain throughout the year. The wet season is the Thai monsoon season from March to April.

Cuisine

The Khorat cuisine, heavily influenced by Lao cuisine, is quite popular among Thai. In fact, many visitors come to Nakhon Ratchasima just to taste the special delicacies that cannot be found elsewhere. The use of chili is a must in every Khorat kitchen, and thus most Khorat dishes are spicy.

Khorat food makes more use of coconut milk than anywhere else in the country. Curries are richer, creamier, and more influenced by the tastes of nearby Cambodia.

Government structure of Nakhon Ratchasima

Districts

1. Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima (เมืองนครราชสีมา)
2. Amphoe Khon Buri (ครบุรี)
3. Amphoe Soeng Sang (เสิงสาง)
4. Amphoe Khong (คง)
5. Amphoe Ban Lueam (บ้านหเลม)
6. Amphoe Chakkarat (จักราช)
7. Amphoe Chok Chai (โชตช้ย)
8. Amphoe Dan Khun Thot (ด้านชุนทด)
9. Amphoe Non Thai (โนนไทย)
10. Amphoe Non Sung (โนนสุง)
11. Amphoe Kham Sakaesaeng (ขามสเกแสง)
12. Amphoe Bua Yai (บัวไหญ่)
13. Amphoe Prathai (ประทาย)
14. Amphoe Pak Thong Chai (ปักธงชัย)
15. Amphoe Phimai (พิมาย)
16. Amphoe Huai Thalaeng (ห้วยแถลง)
17. Amphoe Chum Phuang (ชุมพวง)
18. Amphoe Sung Noen (สูงเนิน)
19. Amphoe Kham Thale So (ขามทะเลสอ)
20. Amphoe Sikhio (สิคิ้ว)
21. Amphoe Pak Chong (ปากช่อง)
22. Amphoe Nong Bun Mak (หนองบุญมาก)
23. Amphoe Kaeng Sanam Nang (แก้งสนามนาง)
24. Amphoe Non Daeng (โนดแดง)
25. Amphoe Wang Nam Khiao (วังนำ้เขียว)
26. Amphoe Thepharak (เทพารักษ์)
27. Amphoe Mueang Yang (เมืองยาง)
28. AMphoe Phra Thong Kham (พระทองคำ)
29. Amphoe Lam Thamenchai (ลำทะเมนชัย)
30. Amphoe Bua Lai (บัวลาย)
31. Amphoe Sida (สีดา)
32. Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat (เฉลิมพระเกียรติ)

Ranking Population Nakhon Ratchasima.

Rank	Amphoe	Population 2010
1	Nakhon Ratchasima	433,838
2	Pak Chong	182,831
3	Non Sung	130,445
4	Dan Khun Thot	141,400
5	Sikhio	134,000
6	Pak Thong Chai	132,400
7	Khon Buri	119,000
8	Bua Yai	104,800
9	Chum Phuang	100,900
10	Khong	47,500

External links

• Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand
• Official website
• Nakhon Ratchasima provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp
• 24th Southeast Asian Games Nakhon Ratchasima 2007 Website