Nakhon Pathom province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nakhon Pathom จังหวัดนครปฐม
Province
(Clockwise from top left) Phra Pathommachedi, Sanam Chandra Palace, Phutthamonthon Buddhism Park, Don Wai Market, Thai Human Imagery Museum, Prince Mahidol Hall of Mahidol University Salaya Campus
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  City of Big Chedi
Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Pathom province
Country	Thailand
Capital	Mueang Nakhon Pathom
Area
• Total	2,168 km2 (837 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 66th
Population  (2019)
• Total	920,030
• Rank	Ranked 25th
• Density	424/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
• Density rank	Ranked 8th
Human Achievement Index
• HAI (2017)	0.6354 "high" Ranked 12th
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code	73xxx
Calling code	034 & 02
ISO 3166 code	TH-73

Nakhon Pathom is a province in the central part of Thailand. Its name means 'first city'. It is known for being a very old city where Buddhism first arrived in Thailand. The province is also famous for its many fruit orchards.

Nakhon Pathom is home to the Phra Pathommachedi. This is a huge chedi (a dome-shaped building for Buddhist relics). It was started by King Mongkut and finished by King Chulalongkorn in 1870. This chedi reminds us of the ancient Dvaravati civilization that once lived here.

Geography and Climate

Nakhon Pathom is a small province located about 56 kilometers from Bangkok. It sits on a flat, fertile plain in central Thailand. The Tha Chin River flows through the province. This river is a branch of the mighty Chao Phraya River. Many canals have been dug in the area to help with farming. Only a tiny part of the province (about 1.6 square kilometers) is covered by forest. The capital city of Bangkok has grown so much that it now borders Nakhon Pathom.

Weather in Nakhon Pathom

Nakhon Pathom has a tropical savanna climate. This means it has dry, warm winters. Temperatures usually go up until May. The monsoon season lasts from May to October. During this time, there is a lot of rain, and daytime temperatures are a bit cooler. However, the nights stay warm.

History of Nakhon Pathom

Centuries ago, Nakhon Pathom was a city on the coast. It was an important stop on the trade route between China and India. Over time, the Chao Phraya River brought a lot of soil and mud. This caused the coastline to move far out to sea.

When the Tha Chin River changed its path, Nakhon Pathom lost its main water source. Because of this, the city was empty for hundreds of years. Most people moved to a nearby city called Nakhon Chai Si.

Bringing the City Back to Life

King Mongkut (also known as Rama IV) ordered the restoration of the Phra Pathom Chedi. At that time, the chedi was old and falling apart in the jungle. As the chedi was rebuilt, a new city slowly grew around it. This brought new life back to Nakhon Pathom. Today, a museum in the province shows many old items. These items tell the story of the city's long history.

People of Nakhon Pathom

People started settling in the province again during the time of King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai (Rama II). This included villages of Khmer people and people from Lan Na. There were also villages of Lao Song people. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many southern Chinese people moved here.

Today, Nakhon Pathom attracts people from all over Thailand. Many come from Bangkok and Isan (northeastern Thailand). There are also many workers from Myanmar. The province now has industrial areas, large university towns, and government offices that moved from Bangkok. It is also a major center for farming and transportation.

Economy and Development

Nakhon Pathom is an important economic area. In 2019, the Department of Airports suggested building a new airport here. This new airport would help reduce the number of flights at Bangkok's two busy airports. The plan is for the airport to cost about 20 billion baht. It would cover 3,500 rai of land in Bang Len District and Nakhon Chai Si District.

The new airport could handle 25 million passengers each year. If approved, construction might start in 2023. The airport could be ready by 2025 or 2026. Once it's fully built, it will handle smaller planes. These planes will fly between Bangkok and other provinces. This will help ease traffic at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. The area chosen for the airport does not have many people living there.

Health Services

The main hospital in Nakhon Pathom is Nakhon Pathom Hospital. It is managed by the Ministry of Public Health. This hospital provides healthcare services to the people of the province.

Symbols of Nakhon Pathom

Each province in Thailand has its own symbols.

Provincial Seal

The provincial seal of Nakhon Pathom shows the Phra Pathom Chedi. This chedi is 127 meters tall, making it the tallest pagoda in the world. It is located in the center of Nakhon Pathom city. The chedi has been an important Buddhist center since the 6th century. The current building was rebuilt by King Mongkut in 1860. A royal crown is shown on the pagoda in the seal. This crown represents King Mongkut's work in rebuilding the pagoda.

Provincial Flag

The provincial flag is blue. In the middle of the blue flag, there is the yellow provincial seal.

Provincial Tree and Slogan

The provincial tree is called Diospyros decandra, or "chan" in Thai. The provincial slogan is "sweet pomelos, delicious rice, beautiful young ladies". This slogan highlights some of the things Nakhon Pathom is famous for.

How Nakhon Pathom is Governed

Nakhon Pathom province is divided into smaller areas.

Provincial Government

Map of Nakhon Pathom province with districts

     City municipalities (thesaban nakhon)      Town municipalities (thesaban mueang)      Subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon)

The province has seven main areas called districts (amphoes). These districts are further divided into 106 subdistricts (tambons). Within these subdistricts, there are 904 villages (mubans).

Here are the seven districts:

• Mueang Nakhon Pathom
• Kamphaeng Saen
• Nakhon Chai Si
• Don Tum
• Bang Len
• Sam Phran
• Phutthamonthon

Local Government

As of October 2020, Nakhon Pathom has one Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO). This organization helps manage the province. There are also twenty-six municipal areas. The capital city, Nakhon Pathom, is a city municipality (thesaban nakhon). Five other areas have town municipality (thesaban mueang) status. The remaining twenty are subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon).

Here are some of the main municipalities and their populations:

The areas that are not municipalities are managed by 91 Subdistrict Administrative Organizations (SAOs).

Human Achievement Index (2017)

The Human Achievement Index (HAI) measures how well people are doing in different areas of life. These areas include health, education, and income. Since 2003, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked this index. It helps to see how provinces are improving.

In 2017, Nakhon Pathom had an HAI value of 0.6354. This is considered "high". It ranked 12th out of all the provinces in Thailand.

Health	Education	Employment	Income
40	5	22	8
Housing	Family	Transport	Participation
56	57	25	62
Province Nakhon Pathom, with an HAI 2017 value of 0.6354 is "high", occupies place 12 in the ranking.

Images for kids

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  Map showing provinces and their HAI 2017 rankings.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Nakhon Pathom para niños