Suphan Buri province facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Suphan Buri สุพรรณบุรี
Province
(clockwise from top left) Don Chedi Memorial, Wat Pa Lelai Worawihan, Buddhist heaven and hell park at Wat Phai Rong Wua, Chinese village replica at the Dragon Descendants Museum, Phu Toei National Park, Giant Dragon Statue of Dragon Descendants Museum near the Suphan Buri Tutelary Shrine
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Suphan
Map of Thailand highlighting Suphan Buri province
Country	Thailand
Capital	Suphan Buri
Area
• Total	5,358 km2 (2,069 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 39th
Population  (2018)
• Total	848,720
• Rank	Ranked 29th
• Density	158/km2 (410/sq mi)
• Density rank	Ranked 24th
Human Achievement Index
• HAI (2017)	0.5403 "low" Ranked 68th
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code	72xxx
Calling code	035
ISO 3166 code	TH-72

Suphan Buri is a province in the central part of Thailand. It's one of Thailand's 76 provinces, which are like states or regions. In 2018, about 848,700 people lived here. It shares borders with several other provinces, including Uthai Thani and Kanchanaburi.

What's in a Name?

The name Suphan Buri has a special meaning. The word suphan comes from an old language called Sanskrit. It means 'gold'. The word buri also comes from Sanskrit and means 'town' or 'city'. So, Suphan Buri literally means 'City of Gold'.

Land and Nature

Most of Suphan Buri is made up of flat river plains. These areas are great for growing crops like rice. There are also some small mountains in the northern and western parts of the province. About 11.7% of the province is covered by forests.

One important natural area is Phu Toei National Park. This park covers about 317 square kilometers and helps protect the local wildlife and environment.

A Look at History

Suphan Buri has a very long history. Some people believe it might be the ancient city of Suvarnabhumi, which is mentioned in old Buddhist stories.

The first confirmed settlement here was during the Dvaravati period, a time when ancient kingdoms thrived in Thailand. Back then, the city was called Mueang Thawarawadi Si Suphannaphumi. It was founded around the years 877–882.

Later, the city was known as U Thong. Some even thought it was the hometown of Prince U Thong, who founded the famous Ayutthaya Kingdom. King Khun Luang Pha Ngua gave the city its current name, Suphan Buri. Because it was a border city, Suphan Buri was often involved in battles with the neighboring Burmese army.

What Suphan Buri Makes

Suphan Buri is famous for growing water chestnuts. These are small, crunchy vegetables that grow in water. The province is the biggest producer of water chestnuts in Thailand! Many are grown in areas like Mueang Suphan Buri and Si Prachan.

Water chestnuts from Suphan Buri are so special that they were officially recognized as a "geographical indication" (GI) product in 2017. This means they are known for their quality because of where they come from. A popular Thai dessert called thapthim krop uses water chestnuts. This dessert was even named one of the world's best 50 desserts by CNN Travel in 2019!

Symbols of the Province

The official seal of Suphan Buri shows a famous elephant battle. This battle happened in 1592 between King Naresuan the Great of Thailand and the crown prince of Burma. It was a very important event in Thai history and took place right here in Suphan Buri.

The provincial tree is the ebony tree (Diospyros mollis). The Boeseman croaker fish is the provincial aquatic animal.

How Suphan Buri is Organized

Map of 10 districts

Suphan Buri province is divided into 10 main areas called districts (amphoes). These districts are then split into smaller parts called subdistricts (tambons) and villages (mubans).

Here are the 10 districts:

• Mueang Suphan Buri
• Doem Bang Nang Buat
• Dan Chang
• Bang Pla Ma
• Si Prachan
• Don Chedi
• Song Phi Nong
• Sam Chuk
• U Thong
• Nong Ya Sai

Getting Around Suphan Buri

By Train

Suphan Buri Railway Station

Suphan Buri has a train station, Suphan Buri railway station, which is the end of a train line that connects to the main State Railway of Thailand network.

By Road

Several main roads pass through Suphan Buri. Route 340 goes north to Chai Nat and south to Bang Bua Thong. Route 321 heads west and then south to Nakhon Pathom. These roads make it easy to travel to and from the province.

Famous People from Suphan Buri

Many notable people have come from Suphan Buri, including:

• Khunluang Pha Ngua (1310–1388), an important king from the Ayutthaya era.
• Phetracha (1632–1703), another king of Ayutthaya.
• Suraphol Sombatcharoen (1930–1968), a famous luk tung (Thai country music) singer.
• Banharn Silpa-archa (1932–2016), a well-known politician.
• Pumpuang Duangjan (1961–1992), a very popular luk tung singer.
• Artiwara "Toon Bodyslam" Kongmalai (born 1979), a famous rock musician.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Suphanburi para niños