Amphoe Pak Thong Chai

Infobox Amphoe
name=Pak Thong Chai
thai=ปักธงชัย
province=Nakhon Ratchasima
coordinates=coord|14|43|11|N|102|1|17|E|type:adm2nd_region:TH
capital=Mueang Pak
area=1,374.3
population=115,244
population_as_of=2007
density=83.9
postal_code=30150
geocode=3014

Pak Thong Chai ( _th. ปักธงชัย) is a district ("Amphoe") in the southern part of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand.

History

The area was an important city since the Khmer era, controlled by "Mueang" Phimai. In the reign of King U Thong of Ayutthaya it was named "Mueang" Pak. When King Narai the Great built "Mueang" Nakhon Ratchasima as the northeastern frontier city of Ayutthaya, "Mueang" Pak was a frontier city of Nakhon Ratchasima, then called Dan Chapo (ด่านจะโปะ). King Taksin the Great changed the name of the city to be Pak Thong Chai and arranged this area for Lao people from Vientiane kingdom. He promoted Phia Upparacha of Vientiane to be Phraya Wongsa Akkharat (พระยาวงษาอรรคราช), the governor of Pak Thong Chai.

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) changed the city status to a district ("Amphoe") in 1908 as part of the "thesaphiban" administrative reforms.

Geography

Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Sung Noen, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima, Chok Chai, Khon Buri and Wang Nam Khiao.

Administration

The district is subdivided into 16 subdistricts ("tambon"), which are further subdivided into 215 villages ("muban"). There are six subdistrict municipalities ("thesaban tambon") - Mueang Pak covering part of "tambon" Mueang Pak and Thong Chai Nuea, Pak Thong Chai further part of "tambon" Pak Thong Chai and Takhop covering part of "tambon" Takhop, Nok Ok, Lam Nang Kaeo and Bo Pla Thong, and Nok Ok, Lam Nang Kaeo and Bo Pla Thong each cover further parts of the same-named "tambon".Missing numbers belong to "tambon" which now form Wang Nam Khiao district.

External links

* [http://amphoe.com/menu.php?mid=1&am=228&pv=20 amphoe.com] (Thai)