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Location:
Located just north of Phuket, this coastal province is 788 km. to the
south of Bangkok. It is adjacent to Ranong and Surat Thani in the North,
Phuket and the Andaman Sea in the South, Surat Thani and Krabi in the East
and the Andaman Sea in the West.
Area:
Phang-nga has an area of 4,170 sq.km. The province has a coastline of 240
km. long and 105 islets.
Climate:
There are only two seasons in Phang-nga: the hot season from January to
April, and the rainy season from May to December.
Topography:
The terrain is predominantly mountains and forests combined with rubber
plantations. 57% of the total area is mangrove and primary forests. An
important mountain is 517-km. Phuket mountain range. Two major rivers are
the Phang-nga river and the Takua Pa river. The coastline of Phang-nga is
long, narrow and curvy. The province also has about 105 islets, mostly
located to the northwest of the province.
Population:
The population is 245,394 (end Feb 2007) with 123,128 males and 122,266
females. They consist of Thai-Buddhist, 83%; Muslim, 17%; and Christian,
0.01%.
Note* The total population includes only permanent residents.
Administration:
Phang-nga consists of 8 counties (amphoe): Amphoe Muang, Kuraburi, Thap
Put, Takua Thung, Takua Pa, Thai Muang, and Ko Yao.
Phang-nga History:
The present province of Phang-nga was first inhabited by small
communities on the bank of the Phang-nga river in a district called
Kraphu-nga. The district expanded in the reign of King Rama II (1809-1824)
when the Burmese troops invaded southern Thailand. As the army from
Bangkok did not arrive in time, the three important nearby towns of Takua
Pa, Takua Thung, and Thalang (present Phuket) fell one after the other and
their large numbers of inhabitants fled to Kraphu-nga and settled there.
Later the Siamese army successfully expelled all the Burmese invaders but
most people chose to stay in their new communities.
In the reign of King Rama III (1824-1851), the status
of Kraphu-nga village was changed into a town under the name of Phang-nga,
and by the King's order Takua Thung became part of Phang-nga. Phang-nga
was elevated to a province in 1933. |