Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan District

History

In the Ayutthaya era, the area of modern Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan was the location of two ancient cities, Mueang Narang and Khlong Wan. When Ayutthaya Kingdom was destroyed, the cities were abandoned. In early Rattanakosin era, King Rama II established Mueang Bang Nang Rom at the mouth of the Nang Rom canal. But as the land was not fertile, the king moved the city center to Mueang Kui, however the new city name was kept. King Mongkut (Rama IV) renamed it Mueang Prachuap Khiri Khan, to rhyme with Mueang Patchanta Khiri Khet (now Koh Kong) on the other side of the Gulf of Thailand. In 1894 King Chulalongkorn placed Mueang Prachuap under Mueang Phetchaburi. In 1898 he moved the district office from Mueang Kui to Ko Lak bay (also known as Prachuap Bay). In 1906 the monarch merged Mueang Pranburi, Kamnoed Nopphakhun and Prachuap, and established Mueang Pranburi to keep the name of Mueang Pran. The new city was made a province under the control of Monthon Ratchaburi. To prevent confusion of the city names, King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) changed the district name that was on Prachuap Bay back to Prachuap Khiri Khan on 16 August 1915.

Geography

Neighboring districts are Kui Buri to the north and Thap Sakae to the south. To the west is the Tanintharyi Region of Myanmar, to the east the Gulf of Thailand with Prachuap Bay, Ao Manao, and Ao Noi.

Thailand is at its narrowest in this district, with only 11 km between a point close to the border checkpoint of Dan Sing Khon (ด่านสิงขร) on the Myanmar border and the Gulf of Thailand.

Administration

The district is divided into six sub-districts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 53 villages (muban). The town (thesaban mueang) of Prachuap Khiri Khan covers the complete tambon Prachuap Khiri Khan as well as parts of Ko Lak and Ao Noi. Another part of Ao Noi belongs to the township (thesaban tambon) KM 5. Parts of tambon Khlong Wan belong to the township Khlong Wan.