SISAKET PROVINCE

'Sisaket' () is one of the north-eastern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Surin, Roi Et, Yasothon and Ubon Ratchathani. To the south it borders Oddar Meancheay and Preah Vihear of Cambodia.

Contents

Geography

History

Demographics

Symbols

Administrative divisions

External links

Geography

The province is located in the valley of the Mun river, a tributary of the Mekong. To the south of the province is the Dângrêk mountain chain, which also forms the boundary to Cambodia.
Khao Phra Wihan National Park covers an area of 130 km² of the Dângrêk mountains in the southeast of the province. It was established on March 20, 1998. It is named after the Khmer temple Prasat Preah Vihear (Anglicized in Thailand as Prasat Khao Phra Wihan), located in Cambodia, which had been the issue of boundary dispute between the two countries and was thus unaccessible for most of recent history.
At the boundary survey for the Franco-Siamese treaty of 1907 the temple was left on the Cambodian side, even though the boundary in other parts followed the watershed. In 1962 the dispute was officially settled by the International Court of Justice, confirming the 1907 boundary.

History

Due to the many ruins found in the province the area must have been an important settlement already in the times of the Khmer empire in the 12th century. According to local tradition it was called ''Sri Nakorn Lamduan'' (''Nakorn'' is a derivative of the Khmer word ''Nokor'') at that time, later it became known as ''Khukhan''. Khukhan was made a town during the reign of King Boromaratcha III. In the northern area controlled by Khukhan Lao began to settle, which in 1786 was made the separate town Sisaket dependend on Khukhan. 1904 the town Sisaket was renamed Khukhan, while the old town got the name Huai Nua. 1912 Monthon Udon Thani was created, which took over most of the administration of the area. When in 1933 the monthon were dissolved, the province Khukhan was again directly administrated from Bangkok. In 1938 the town and province was renamed to Sisaket, and the district which contained Huai Nua got back the name Khukhan.

Demographics

30% of the population are of the Khmer speaking minority.

Symbols

Provincial seal

The provincial seal shows the Prasat Hin Ban Samo, a Khmer temple about 1000 years old, located in the Prang Ku district.The symbol flower and tree of the province is the White Cheesewood (''Melodorum fruticosum''). The six leaves of the flower refer to the six original districts of the province - Khukhan, Kantharalak, Uthumphon Phisai, Kanthararom, Rasi Salai and Khun Han.

Administrative divisions

The province is subdivided into 20 districts (''Amphoe'') and 2 minor districts (''King amphoe''). The districts are further subdivided into 206 communes (''tambon'') and 2411 villages (''muban'').

''Amphoe''		''King Amphoe''
#Mueang Sisaket#Yang Chum Noi#Kanthararom#Kantharalak#Khukhan#Phrai Bueng#Prang Ku#Khun Han#Rasi Salai#Uthumphon Phisai	Bueng Bun Huai Thap Than Non Khun Si Rattana Nam Kliang Wang Hin Phu Sing Mueang Chan Benchalak Phayu	Pho Si Suwan Sila Lat

External links

★ Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand

★ Website of Province (Limited English section)

★ Si Saket provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp