Lamphun province
Legend handed down for more than 1,400 years refer to this ancient town as Hariphunchai. Its first ruler was Queen Chamthewi who was of Mon extraction. In late 12th century, King Mengrai overran the town and subsequently integrated it into the Lanna Kingdom.
Today, Lamphun still retain its enchanting ambience of a small but old community. It is some 670 kilometres from Bangkok and only 26 kilometres from Chiang Mai. Located on the bank of the Kuang River, its attractions include ancient sites and relics as well as forests and mountains and delightful lakes. Lamphun is the most famous producer of longans.
Geography
Lamphun is located in the river valley of the Ping River, surrounded by mountain chains.
It is some 670 kilometres from Bangkok and only 26 kilometres from Chiang Mai.
History
Under its old name of Haripunchai, Lamphun was the northernmost city of the Mon kingdom of the Dvaravati period, and also the last to fall to the Thai. In the late 12th century it came under siege from the Khmer, but did not fall. However in 1281 King Mengrai of Lannathai finally seized the city, and made it part of his kingdom. After Burmese expansion in the sixteenth century, Lamphun was also under Burmese rule for two centuries. In the eighteenth century, with the rise of Thonburi and Bangkok against Burmese rule, local leaders from Lampang agreed to be their allies. Lamphun was finally free from the Burmese and ruled by relative of Lampang's leader, gaining vassal status from Bangkok. Eventually after the administrative reform of Bangkok government in late nineteenth century, Lamphun became a part, as a province, of Siam or late Kingdom of Thailand.
Symbols
The provincial seal shows the temple Wat Phra That Haripunchai, which was already the main temple of the city Lamphun during the Mon times. The gold-covered chedi is said to contain a relic of Buddha.
The provincial flower is the Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma), and the provincial tree is the Rain Tree (Samanea saman).
Administrative divisions
The province is subdivided in 8 districts (amphoe). These are further subdivided into 51 subdistricts (tambon) and 551 villages (muban).
| |
- Mueang Lamphun
- Mae Tha
- Ban Hong
- Li
|
- Thung Hua Chang
- Pa Sang
- Ban Thi
- Wiang Nong Long
|
Municipal (thesaban) areas in the province are the town (thesaban mueang) Lamphun and 12 townships (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal area is administrated by 45 Tambon Administration Organizations (TAO) and 2 Tambon Councils.
For the national elections the province is subdivided into 3 constituencies. Constituency 1 covers the Mueang District except Tambon Makhuea Chae, constituency 2 the districts Pa Sang, Mae Tha, and Tambon Makhuea Chae of Mueang district, and constituency 3 the districts Ban Hong, Thung Hua Chang and Li.
Top Destinations
