Amphoe Khiri Rat Nikhom

Infobox_Amphoe
name=Khiri Rat Nikhom
thai=คีรีรัฐนิคม
province=Surat Thani
coordinates=coord|9|1|48|N|98|57|12|E|type:adm2nd_region:TH
capital=Tha Khanon
area=812.3
population=39,957
population_as_of=2005
density=49.2
postal_code=84180
geocode=8408

Khiri Rat Nikhom ( _th. คีรีรัฐนิคม) is a district ("Amphoe") in the west of Surat Thani Province of southern Thailand.

Geography

The western part of the district is located within the hills of the Phuket mountain range, while to the east the terrain is mostly flat. The main rivers are the Phum Duang and Yan river.

Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Vibhavadi, Phunphin, Khian Sa, Phanom and Ban Ta Khun.

History

The town was first mentioned during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV), when it was a minor "mueang" under Takua Pa and part of the Nakhon Si Thammarat kingdom. During the "thesaphiban" administrative reforms in the 1890s it became a district within the province Chaiya, the present day Surat Thani.

In 1917 the district was renamed to Tha Khanon (ท่าขนอน), as the district office was located within that area. [cite journal|journal=Royal Gazette|volume=34|issue=0 ก|pages=40–68|title=ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง เปลี่ยนชื่ออำเภอ|url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2460/A/40.PDF|date=April 29 1917|language=Thai] On April 12 1961 the name was changed back to the historical name. [cite journal|journal=Royal Gazette|volume=78|issue=33 ก|pages=382-|title=พระราชกฤษฎีกาเปลี่ยนชื่ออำเภอและตำบลบางแห่ง พ.ศ. ๒๕๐๔|url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2504/A/033/382.PDF|date=April 11 1961|language=Thai]

Traffic

Khiri Rat Nikhom is the endpoint of a branch of the southern railway, originally scheduled to run till Phuket but construction was stopped in 1956.

Administration

The district is subdivided into 8 subdistricts ("tambon"), which are further subdivided into 84 villages ("muban"). Tha Khanon has subdistrict municipality ("thesaban tambon") status and covers parts of "tambon" Tha Khanon. Each of the 8 "tambon" is administrated by a Tambon administrative organization (TAO).The missing numbers 4 and 5 belong to the "tambon" which were split off to form King Amphoe Vibhavadi.

References

External links

* [http://amphoe.com/menu.php?mid=1&am=700&pv=66 amphoe.com]
*http://cddweb.cdd.go.th/khirirat/index.htm