Kut Chum District

History

The village of Kut Chum was established in 1912. A minor district (king amphoe) Kut Chum was established on August 1, 1961. It was made out of the four subdistricts Non Pueai, Phai (in 1978 reassigned to Sai Mun district), Phon Ngan and Kammaet split off from Yasothon district.

On July 17, 1963, it was elevated to the level of district (amphoe), then of Ubon Ratchathani Province. When Yasothon was separated from Ubon, Kut Chum was one of the districts relocated to the new province.

Geography

Neighboring districts are (from the northeast clockwise) Loeng Nok Tha, Thai Charoen, Pa Tio, Mueang Yasothon, and Sai Mun of Yasothon Province, and Selaphum and Nong Phok of Roi Et Province.

Economy

Kut Chum is well known for its organic movement and organic foods, chiefly the organic farming of rice. Kut Chum also achieved fame for issuing its own local scrip called Bia Kut Chum. Bia, Thai for cowry shell, was once a unit of currency equal to  ¹⁄₆₄₀₀ of a Thai baht, and Bia is still current in metaphorical expressions, so the usage ran afoul of currency laws. To side-step implications that they intended a substitute local currency, they changed to Boon Kut Chum, which are barter coupons with a fixed value in baht, that may be exchanged for goods and services within the community.)

Primary occupations

Secondary occupations

Important products

Administration

The district is subdivided into 9 subdistricts (tambon) which make up 125 villages (muban).

District office

The district office of Kut Chum is located at

Local administration

Kut Chum Phatthana is a subdistrict municipality (thesaban tambon) which covers parts of the subdistricts Kut Chum and Non Pueai. There are further 9 Tambon administrative organizations (TAO), one for each subdistrict covering the non-municipal areas.

Schools

The secondary schools in Amphoe Kut Chum are: