Country Thailand Time zone THA (UTC+7) Geocode 3014 Population 115,244 (2007) | Seat Mueang Pak Postal code 30150 Area 1,374 km² | |
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Province Nakhon Ratchasima Province | ||
Pak Thong Chai (Thai: ปักธงชัย) is a district (amphoe) in the southern part of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand.
Contents
Map of Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima, 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.