Country Thailand Capital Kamphaeng Phet | Area 8,607.5 km2 Population 729,522 | |
Map of Kamphaeng Phet Province
Kamphaeng Phet (Thai: กำแพงเพชร, [kām.pʰɛ̄ːŋ pʰét]) is a province (changwat) of Thailand in the upper center of the country. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Nakhon Sawan, and Tak.
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Etymology
In Thai kamphaeng means a "wall" and phet (from Sanskrit vájra) means 'diamond' . Thus the name literally means the "diamond wall" and refers to the city's ancient defenses.
Geography
The main river is the Ping, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River. River flats make up much of the east of the province, while the west is mountainous and covered with forests.
One of the provinces best-known products is bananas, especially the kluai khai, a small, round, sweet banana. Banana festivals are held every year to thank the spirits for the harvest.
History
Kamphaeng Phet already was a royal city in the Sukhothai Kingdom in the 14th century, then known under its old name Chakangrao. It formed an important part of the defence system of the kingdom, as well as later of the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Symbols
The provincial seal shows the city walls surmounted by diamonds, since the city name means "diamond wall" (from the shape of the ramparts of the old city wall). The provincial tree is the areca nut palm (Acacia catechu), and the provincial flower the bullet wood (Mimusops elengi).
Administrative divisions
The province is divided into 11 districts (amphoe). These are further subdivided into 78 sub-districts (tambon) and 823 villages (muban).