UBON RATCHATHANI PROVINCE

'Ubon Ratchathani' (often in short 'Ubon', ) is one of the north-eastern provinces (''changwat'') of Thailand, and the country's easternmost. Ubon is about 500 km away from Bangkok. Neighboring Provinces are (from west clockwise) Sisaket, Yasothon and Amnat Charoen. To the north and east it borders Salavan and Champasak of Laos, to the south Preah Vihear of Cambodia.

Contents

Geography

History

Education

Symbols

Administrative divisions

External links

Geography

At Khong Chiam the Mun river, the biggest river of the Khorat Plateau, joins the Mekong, which forms the north-eastern boundary of Thailand with Laos. The area where the borders of the three countries Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet is promoted as the ''Emerald Triangle'', in contrast to the ''Golden Triangle'' in the north of Thailand. The ''Emerald'' refers to the large intact monsoon forests there.

History

The area was part of the Khmer Empire, until King Ramathibodi of Ayutthaya defeated it and made it part of his kingdom. After the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 several new tribes settled there, including the Kha and Suai. Twenty years later King Rama I offered a noble title to the local leader who could unite the many small settlements into one town. This was accomplished in 1786 with the founding of Ubon Ratchathani by Thao Khamphong, and in 1792 it became a province. Ubon Ratchathani became the administrative center of the monthon Isan, of which monthon Ubon was split off. In 1925 it became part of monthon Nakhon Ratchasima, with the abolishment of the monthon in 1933 the province became a first level subdivision of the country.
Until 1972 the Ubon Ratchathani province was the largest province of Thailand areawise. In 1972 Yasothon was split off, in 1993 Amnat Charoen, after which it now holds the 5th rank.

Education

Ubon Ratchathani province is the main site of Ubon Ratchathani University.

Symbols

Provincial seal

The provincial seal shows a Lotus flower in a pond. This refers to the meaning of the name of the province, which translates to ''Royal city of the lotus flower''. Therefore the provincial flower also is the Lotus (''Nymphaea lotus''). The provincial tree is the Yang-khao (''Dipterocarpus alatus'').

Administrative divisions

The province is subdivided into 20 districts (''Amphoe'') and 5 minor districts (''King Amphoe''). The districts are further subdivided into 219 communes (''tambon'') and 2469 villages (''muban''). The numbers missing in the table are the districts which formed the province Amnat Charoen in 1993.

''Amphoe''		''King Amphoe''
1. Mueang Ubon Ratchathani 2. Si Mueang Mai 3. Khong Chiam 4. Khueang Nai 5. Khemarat 7. Det Udom 8. Na Chaluai 9. Nam Yuen 10. Buntharik 11. Trakan Phuet Phon	12. Kut Khaopun 14. Muang Sam Sip 15. Warin Chamrap 19. Phibun Mangsahan 20. Tan Sum 21. Pho Sai 22. Samrong 24. Don Mot Daeng 25. Sirindhorn 26. Thung Si Udom	Na Yia Na Tan Lao Suea Kok Sawang Wirawong Nam Khun

External links

★ Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand

★ Website of province (Thai only)

★ Ubon Ratchathani provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp