Amphoe Kanchanadit

Infobox_Amphoe
name=Kanchanadit
thai=กาญจนดิษฐ์
province=Surat Thani
capital=Ka Dae
coordinates=coord|9|09|56|N|99|28|16|E|region:TH_type:adm2nd
area=879.0
population=96,547
population_as_of=2005
density=109.8
postal_code=84160
geocode=8402

Kanchanadit ( _th. กาญจนดิษฐ์) is a district ("Amphoe") in the province Surat Thani in the south of Thailand.

History

Originally the town was named "Thathong" (ท่าทอง) and was located at the shore of Khlong Thathong Mai (named Khlong Tha Phechon at that time). During the reign of King Nangklao (Rama III) the town was moved because its location was malaria-infested, and renamed to Kanchanadit. It was a provincial town ("Mueang") under the control of Nakhon Si Thammarat. During the reign of Rama IV it was put under supervision of Bangkok directly. In 1899 the province was merged with Chaiya and was thus reduced to be an Amphoe.

Geography

The district is located in the eastern part of the province. It stretches from the coast to the Bandon Bay of the Gulf of Thailand in the north, the low river valley of the Tapi River to the west, and the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range in the south and west. The Tai Rom Yen National Park was created on December 31 1991, protecting the forested hills of that mountain range. The main river in the district is the Thathong River, which empties into the Tapi estuary.

Neighboring districts are (from the east clockwise) Don Sak, Sichon and Nopphitam of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Ban Na San and Mueang Surat Thani.

The main road through the district is Thai highway 401, which connects Kanchanadit with the town Surat Thani. Highway 44 begin at highway 401 and runs to the southwest as part of a landbridge across the Malay Peninsula.

Administration

The district Kanchanadit is subdivided into 13 subdisticts ("tambon"), which are further subdivided into 115 villages ("muban"). There are three subdistrict municipalities ("thesaban tambon") - Kanchanadit covers the whole "tambon" Ka Dae, Tha Thong Mai covers parts of the "tambon" Tha Thong Mai, and Chang Sai the whole "tambon" Chang Sai. There are also 11 tambon administrative organizations (TAO), for each "tambon" except Ka Dae and Chang Sai which are administrated by the "thesaban tambon".

External links

* [http://amphoe.com/menu.php?mid=1&am=714&pv=66 amphoe.com] (Thai)
*http://www.kanchanaditcity.org (Thai)