Nakhon Ratchasima
นครราชสีมา
Province
Nakhon Ratchasima province
(clockwise from upper-left): Phimai Castle, Thao Suranaree Monument, Thai house at Jim Thompson Farm, Chum Phon Gate, Buddha statue at Phanom Wan Castle
Flag of Nakhon Ratchasima
Flag
Official seal of Nakhon Ratchasima
Seal
Nickname: 
Korat
Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Ratchasima province
Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Ratchasima province
CountryThailand
CapitalNakhon Ratchasima City
Government
 • GovernorSiam Sirimongkol
(since October 2022)[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total20,736 km2 (8,006 sq mi)
 • RankRanked 1st
Population
 (2022)[3]
 • Total2,630,058
 • RankRanked 2nd
 • Density127/km2 (330/sq mi)
  • RankRanked 35th
GDP
[4]
 • Totalbaht 275 billion
(US$9.5 billion) (2019)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code
30xxx
Calling code044
ISO 3166 codeTH-30
Websitewww.nakhonratchasima.go.th

Nakhon Ratchasima (Thai: นครราชสีมา, pronounced [ná(ʔ).kʰɔ̄ːn râːt.t͡ɕʰā.sǐː.māː], often called Khorat (Thai: โคราช, pronounced [kʰōː.râːt])) (alternate spelling Korat) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (changwat) lies in lower northeastern Thailand also called Isan. It is the country's largest province by area, has a population of approximately 2.7 million, and generates about 250 billion baht in GDP, the highest in Isan.[5] Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise, from north) Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi, and Lopburi.

The capital of the province is the city of Nakhon Ratchasima in Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima district, also called Khorat.

Geography

Khao Yai National Park

The province is at the west 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: Khao Yai in the west and Thap Lan in the south. Both parks are in the forested mountains of the Sankamphaeng Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains. The total forest area is 3,193 km2 (1,233 sq mi) or 15.4 percent of provincial area.[2]

Nakhon Ratchasima 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). The province is rich in Khmer culture and has a long history.

National parks

There are two national parks, along with two other national parks, make up region 1 (Prachinburi) of Thailand's protected areas.

History

Phimai historical park

The area around Khorat was already an important centre in the times of the Khmer empire in the 11th century, as can be seen by the temple ruins in Phimai historical park. Nakhon Ratchasima province is one of the provinces where there is still a sizable northern Khmer population.[7]

A new walled city with a surrounding moat, designated as Nakhon Ratchasima, was built in the 17th century by order of the King Narai, as the easternmost "command post", guarding the kingdom's border. Nakhon Ratchasima continued this duty during the Bangkok Period, although it was briefly seized during Lao rebellion (1826–1828) in 1826, in the reign of King Rama III of Siam.

Nakhon Ratchasima has long been the most important political and economic centre in the northeastern region. In the late-19th century, the railroad reached Khorat and it became the junction of two main rail lines in the northeastern, Isan, region. In 1933, Nakhon Ratchasima was the stronghold of the royalist troops in the Boworadet Rebellion, as they fought against the new democratic government in Bangkok. In the 1950s, the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base was built in Nakhon Ratchasima; from 1961 until 26 February 1976, this facility was also used as a base by the United States Air Force.

A mass shooting occurred in the province on 8 and 9 February 2020. The gunman killed 30 and wounded another 57 before being shot dead by police. It was the deadliest mass shooting in Thailand's history.

Nakhon Ratchasima was the birthplace of Thao Suranari who was born in 1771 and was the savior of Nakhon Ratchasima from King Chao Anouvong's army in 1826.

Symbols

Thao Suranari Monument

The provincial seal depicts the revered heroine of Khorat, Thao Suranari (Thai: ท้าวสุรนารี).

A monument to Thao Suranari (real name: Khunying Mo; 1771–1852) stands in front of the old Pratu Chumphon gate. Also called "The Great Heroine of Khorat", Kunying Mo was the wife of the Siamese-appointed deputy governor of Nakhon Ratchasima during the reign of King Rama III. In 1826, Khunying Mo managed to repel the Laotian army led by Prince Anouvong of Vientiane who tried to reinstate control over the Khorat plateau. King Rama III conferred the title of Thao Suranari on Khunying Mo, as well as additional ones honouring her bravery.

The provincial tree and flower is the sathon (Millettia leucantha). The provincial aquatic animal is Hoven's carp (Leptobarbus hoevenii).

The provincial motto is "Land of brave women, fine silk material, Khorat rice noodles, Phimai Historical Park, and Dan Kwian ceramics".

The provincial color is orange

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

Nakhon Ratchasima with 32 districts

The province is divided into 32 districts (amphoes). The districts are further subdivided into 263 sub-districts (tambons) and 3,743 villages (mubans).

  1. Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
  2. Khon Buri
  3. Soeng Sang
  4. Khong
  5. Ban Lueam
  6. Chakkarat
  7. Chok Chai
  8. Dan Khun Thot
  9. Non Thai
  10. Non Sung
  11. Kham Sakaesaeng
  12. Bua Yai
  13. Prathai
  14. Pak Thong Chai
  15. Phimai
  16. Huai Thalaeng
  17. Chum Phuang
  18. Sung Noen
  19. Kham Thale So
  20. Sikhio
  21. Pak Chong
  22. Nong Bun Mak
  23. Kaeng Sanam Nang
  24. Non Daeng
  25. Wang Nam Khiao
  26. Thepharak
  27. Mueang Yang
  28. Phra Thong Kham
  29. Lam Thamenchai
  30. Bua Lai
  31. Sida
  32. Chaloem Phra Kiat

NB: On 15 May 2007, the government upgraded all 81 "king amphoes" to "amphoes" to streamline administration.

Districts General Information
ClassNameArea
(km2)		Distance to
Provincial Hall
(km)		EstablishedSub-districts
(Units)		Villages
(Units)		Population
MaleFemaleTotal
Special
Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
755.5960189525243212,627221,211433,838
1
Dan Khun Thot
1,428.148419081622062,57163,347125,918
1
Bua Yai
305.02810118861012141,85542,27884,133
1
Pak Thong Chai
1,374.323419101621356,71658,950115,666
1
Phimai
896.8716019001220864,42166,024130,445
1
Sikhio
1,247.074519551216960,89861,163122,061
1
Pak Chong
1,825.178519551221791,14691,685182,831
2
Khon Buri
1,816.855819391215246,08647,16793,253
2
Chakkarat
501.672401953810834,44134,64369,084
2
Chok Chai
503.9173019051012637,29739,22376,520
2
Non Sung
676.9813718971619562,63965,374128,013
2
Prathai
600.6489719611314838,62238,76177,282
2
Sung Noen
782.8533619011112538,42940,18178,610
2
Huai Thalaeng
495.1756519611012037,44337,13174,574
2
Chum Phuang
540.567981959913040,91841,03882,161
3
Soeng Sang
1,200.2488197668433,73333,30267,032
3
Khong
454.7377919381015540,05241,07681,128
3
Non Thai
541.9942819001013136,12637,59273,718
3
Kham Sakaesaeng
297.76950196877221,42321,75343,176
3
Kaeng Sanam Nang
107.258130198655618,78219,05437,836
3
Wang Nam Khiao
1,130.0070199258320,41620,50340,910
4
Ban Lueam
218.87585197643910,62010,73221,351
4
Nong Bunmak
590.448521983910429,42429,31658,740
4
Thepharak
357.46590199545812,00211,45123,453
4
Phra Thong Kham
359.52245199657421,26021,68042,940
4
Sida
162.82585199755012,08712,13324,220
4
Bua Lai
106.893103199744512,37412,45024,824
4
Non Daeng
193.40730198956512,59712,98425,581
4
Kham Thale So
203.60522196654614,09114,02128,112
4
Mueang Yang
255.522110199544414,32114,03828,359
4
Lam Thamenchai
308.457120199645916,11415,95332,067
4
Chaloem Phra Kiat
254.09318199656116,96617,41134,377

Local government

The Great Hall of Wat Luang Phor Toh in Sikhio district

As of 26 November 2019 there are:[8] one Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 90 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Nakhon Ratchasima municipality has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Bua Yai, Mueang Pak, Pak Chong and Sikhio municipalities have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 85 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon).The non-municipal areas are administered by 243 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).[3]

Economy

One of the halls inside Terminal 21 Shopping Mall
CentralPlaza at sunset

Khorat's economy has traditionally been heavily dependent on agriculture. It is known as a processing centre for Isan's production of rice, tapioca, and sugar. The Isan region accounts for half of Thailand's exports of those commodities. Khorat is also one of two sites in Thailand manufacturing disk drives by Seagate Technology, employing 12,100 workers in Khorat.[5][9]

Transport

Air

Nakhon Ratchasima has Nakhon Ratchasima Airport, but it has no scheduled flights. The nearest working airport is in Buriram and has flights to and from Bangkok.

Rail

The railway system in Nakhon Ratchasima is on both northeastern routes from Bangkok Railway Station. Nakhon Ratchasima province has eight main railway stations. In 2017, a 60-kilometre dual-track line will connect Korat to Khon Kaen province. It is the first segment of a dual track network that will connect Isan with the Laem Chabang seaport. Mueang District is served by two stations: Nakhon Ratchasima railway station and Thanon Chira Junction railway station.[5]

Road

Highway 2 (Mittraphap Road) is the main route that connects nine districts in Nakhon Ratchasima including Muang district. This route also connects Nakhon Ratchasima to Saraburi and Khon Kaen provinces. Hwy 24 links Si Khio District from Hwy 2 to Pak Thongcha, Chok Chai, and Nong Bunnak Districts and to Buriram province. A new motorway connecting Khorat to Bangkok is under construction in 2016 and will reduce travel time on the 250 kilometre journey to just over two hours.[5]

Health

Nakhon Ratchasima has hospitals in mostly the public sector, but some in the private sector. Its main hospital is Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, which is one of the main hospitals for the Praboromarajchanok Medicine Program of Mahidol University. The province also has a university hospital, which is Suranaree University of Technology Hospital of the Institute of Medicine, Suranaree University of Technology.

Sports

Football
Fans watch a Nakhon Ratchasima F.C. match in 2011

Nakhon Ratchasima F.C. play in Thai League 1 top tier of Thailand football league. Despite the city of Korat having a population in excess of 400,000 and Nakhon Ratchasima province having a population in excess of 2.5 million, Nakhon Ratchasima F.C. struggled to attract more than 400 for most home games throughout their history, the club play in the 80th Birthday Stadium.

Volleyball

Nakhon Ratchasima is the home of the four-times Men's Volleyball Thailand League winner, Nakhon Ratchasima the Mall and the three-times Women's Volleyball Thailand League winner, Nakhon Ratchasima the Mall.

Education

Main gate of Khorat
Universities

There are four universities in the area.

Schools
  • Ratchasima Wittayalai School
  • Saint Mary's College Nakhon Ratchasima
  • Suranaree Wittaya School
  • MBAC
  • Boonwatthana
  • Phimai Witthaya
  • Assumption School Nakhon Ratchasima
  • Fort Surathamphithak School
  • Phoowittaya School (lab school project)
  • Plookpanya School
  • Koratpittayakom school
  • Wangrongnoi school
  • Phatongkhamwittaya school
  • Surawiwat school in Suranaree University of Technology
International schools
  • St Stephen's International School (SIS) (Khao Yai Campus)
  • Adventists International Mission School (AIMS) (Nakhon Ratchasima Campus)
  • Anglo Singapore International School (Korat Campus)
  • Wesley International School[10]

Notable people

Prachya Pinkaew

Born in Nakhon Ratchasima

Communications

  • Landlines provided by TOT and TT&T
  • IDD phones provided by CAT
  • Mobiles provided by AIS GSM, DTAC, TRUE, and HUTCH
  • Internet / High-speed internet (ADSL) provided by TOT, CAT, and TT&T.

Attractions

Lam Takhong Reservoir at Pak Chong district
  • Phimai Historical Park is one of the most important Khmer temples of Thailand. It is in the town of Phimai. The temple marks one end of the ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor. As the enclosed area of 1020 x 580 metres is comparable to that of Angkor Wat, Phimai must have been an important city in the Khmer Empire. Most buildings date from the late-11th to the late-12th century, built in the Baphuon, Bayon, and Angkor Wat styles. However, even though the Khmer at that time were Hindu, the temple was built as a Buddhist temple, since the inhabitants of the Khorat area had been Buddhists as far back the 7th century. Inscriptions name the site Vimayapura, which developed into the Thai name Phimai.
  • Khao Yai National Park is in the western part of the Sankamphaeng Mountain Range, at the southwestern boundary of the Khorat Plateau. The highest mountain in the area of the park is 1,351 m high Khao Rom. This park lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima province (Khorat), but also includes parts of Saraburi, Prachinburi, and Nakhon Nayok provinces. The park is the third largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 300 square kilometers, including tropical seasonal forests and grasslands. Elevations mostly range from 400 to 1,000 m. It is home to 3,000 species of plants and 320 species of birds. Waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Heo Suwat .
  • Nakhon Ratchasima railway station is a 1st class station and the main railway station in the province. There are 18 daily trains serving this station. There are four to six special trains during the celebration of the New Year and Songkran.
  • Lam Takhong Dam is an embankment dam on the Lam Takhong River between Pak Chong District and Sikhio District. The dam was constructed in 1974 for the purposes of irrigation and water supply, but after 2002 its water storage also serves as the lower reservoir for the Lam Takhong pumped storage power plant, Thailand's first power plant of this type.
  • Korat's zoo was established under the patronage of the king. The zoo is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (Thailand). The Korat Zoo has rare animals such as tigers, giraffes, lions, elephants, zebras, rhinoceroses, hedgehogs, birds such as guinea fowls, ostriches, and flamingos.
  • Khao Yai Thiang is the mountain located in Khlong Phai, Pak Chong District. There are 12 wind turbines on top of the mountain. Tourist can go cycling and enjoying the view of reservoir.

Korat cat

Korat Cat (si sawat)

(Thai: โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด, RTGS: Khorat, malet, si sawat)

The Korat cat is a natural breed, and one of the oldest stable cat breeds. Originating in Nakhon Ratchasima province at Phimai,[11] it is named after its province of origin. In Thailand the breed is known as si sawat, meaning "colour of the sawat seed" (bluish-gray). Korat cats are distinguished not only by the colour of their fur. Genuine Korat cats have a heart-shaped face when viewed from any angle and shorter grey hair with silver tips. The true breed's eyes are yellow with an inner green circle. They must be slender and agile. The cat's tail must be slender. Cats with crooked tails are considered inauspicious.[11]

In 1965, Korat cats were first registered in the US by the Korat Cat Fanciers Association. The cats that formed the breed were first imported from Thailand by Jean L. Johnson in 1959. In 1966 the breed was accepted by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA). The Korat breed is now accepted by cat associations around the world.[11]

The International Maew Boran Association (TIMBA) ("maew boran" means "ancient cat") was formed in Thailand to provide a registry of and pedigrees for Thai cats, including Korats, and to provide a voice in English for Thai breeders as "...Thai breeders...do not speak English, and farang breeders do not speak Thai.".[12][11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "รายนามผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด" [List of Governors of Provinces of Thailand] (PDF). Ministry of Interior (Thailand). 2 December 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 "ตารางที่ 2 พี้นที่ป่าไม้ แยกรายจังหวัด พ.ศ.2562" [Table 2 Forest area Separate province year 2019]. Royal Forest Department (in Thai). 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021, information, Forest statistics Year 2019, Thailand boundary from Department of Provincial Administration in 2013.
  3. 1 2 รายงานสถิติจำนวนประชากรและบ้านประจำปี พ.ส.2562 [Statistics, population and house statistics for the year 2019]. Registration Office Department of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior. stat.bora.dopa.go.th (in Thai). 31 December 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  4. ↑ "Gross Regional and Provincial Product, 2019 Edition". <>. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). July 2019. ISSN 1686-0799. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Janssen, Peter (2 November 2016). "Thailand takes a long-term gamble on Isaan region". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  6. 1 2 "ข้อมูลพื้นที่อุทยานแห่งชาติ ที่ประกาศในราชกิจจานุบกษา 133 แห่ง" [National Park Area Information published in the 133 Government Gazettes]. Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (in Thai). December 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Thai People In Northeastern Thailand (Isan)". Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "Number of local government organizations by province". dla.go.th. Department of Local Administration (DLA). 26 November 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019. 20 Nakhon Ratchasima: 1 PAO, 1 City mun., 4 Town mun., 85 Subdistrict mun., 243 SAO.
  9. ↑ Temphairojana, Pairat (10 February 2015). "Seagate to invest $470 mln in Thailand over next 5 years". Reuters. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Welcome to WIS". Wesley International School. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Na Thalang, Jeerawat (6 November 2016). "Splitting hairs over cat breeds". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 8 November 2016.
  12. ↑ "Welcome to TIMBA". TIMBA: The International Maew Boran Association. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
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