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Nakhon Ratchasima นครราชสีมา | |
|---|---|
| Nakhon Ratchasima province | |
  .jpg)  .jpg) (clockwise from upper-left):Phimai Castle,Thao Suranaree Monument, Thai house atJim Thompson Farm,Chum Phon Gate, Buddha statue atPhanom Wan Castle | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: Korat (Thai: โคราช) | |
| Mottoes: เมืองหญิงกล้า ผ้าไหมดี หมี่โคราช ปราสาทหิน ดินด่านเกวียน ("City of brave women. Excellent silk. Mee Korat. Stone castles. Dan Kwian clay.") | |
 Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Ratchasima province | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Capital | Nakhon Ratchasima City |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Chaiwat Chuenkosum |
| Area | |
• Total | 20,736 km2 (8,006 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total |  2,620,172 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| • Density | 126/km2 (330/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 36th |
| Human Achievement Index | |
| • HAI (2022) | 0.6471 "average" Ranked 30th |
| GDP | |
| • Total | baht 275 billion (US$9.5 billion) (2019) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 30xxx |
| Calling code | 044 |
| ISO 3166 code | TH-30 |
| Website | nakhonratchasima |
Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัดนครราชสีมา | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local administrative divisions |
| • Body | Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organization |
| • President | Yalada Wangsuphakitkoson |
| Website | koratpao |
Nakhon Ratchasima (Thai:นครราชสีมา,pronounced[ná(ʔ).kʰɔ̄ːnrâːt.tɕʰā.sǐː.māː];Northeastern Thai:นครราชสีมา,pronounced[nà(ʔ).kʰɔ̂ːnlâːt.sā.sǐː.mâː], often calledKhorat (Thai:โคราช,pronounced[kʰōː.râːt];Northeastern Thai:โคราช,pronounced[kʰôː.lâːt]) (alternate spellingKorat) is one of Thailand's seventy-sixprovinces (changwat) and lies inlower northeastern Thailand also calledIsan. At 20,736 square kilometres (8,006 sq mi) it is the country's second largest province by area, has a population of approximately 2.6 million, and generates about 250 billionbaht inGDP, the highest in Isan.[5] Neighbouring provinces are (clockwise, from north)Chaiyaphum,Khon Kaen,Buriram,Sa Kaeo,Prachinburi,Nakhon Nayok,Saraburi, andLopburi.
The capital of the province isthe city of Nakhon Ratchasima inMueang Nakhon Ratchasima district, also calledKhorat.
The province is at the west end of theKhorat Plateau, separated from theChao Phraya river valley by thePhetchabun andDong Phaya Yen mountain ranges. Twonational parks are in the province: Khao Yai in the west and Thap Lan in the south. Both parks are in the forested mountains of theSankamphaeng Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains. The total forest area is 3,193 km2 (1,233 sq mi) or 15.4 percent of provincial area.[1]
Nakhon Ratchasima is a large province on the northeastern plateau and acts as a gateway to other provinces in the northeast. It is 259 kilometres (161 mi) from Bangkok and has an area of around 20,494 square kilometres (7,913 sq mi). The province is rich in Khmer culture and has a long history.
There are two national parks, along with two other national parks, make upregion 1 (Prachinburi) of Thailand's protected areas.
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The area around Khorat was already an important centre in the times of theKhmer empire in the 11th century, as can be seen by the temple ruins inPhimai historical park. Nakhon Ratchasima province is one of the provinces where there is still a sizablenorthern Khmer population.[7]
A new walled city with a surrounding moat, designated as Nakhon Ratchasima, was built in the 17th century by order of the KingNarai, as the easternmost "command post", guarding the kingdom's border. Nakhon Ratchasima continued this duty during the Bangkok Period, although it was briefly seized duringLao rebellion (1826–1828) in 1826, in the reign of KingRama III of Siam.
Nakhon Ratchasima has long been the most important political and economic centre in the northeastern region. In the late-19th century, the railroad reached Khorat and it became the junction of two main rail lines in the northeastern, Isan, region. In 1933, Nakhon Ratchasima was the stronghold of the royalist troops in theBoworadet Rebellion, as they fought against the new democratic government in Bangkok. In the 1950s, theKorat Royal Thai Air Force Base was built in Nakhon Ratchasima; from 1961 until 26 February 1976, this facility was also used as a base by theUnited States Air Force.
Nakhon Ratchasima was the birthplace ofThao Suranari who was born in 1771 and was the savior of Nakhon Ratchasima from KingChaoAnouvong's army in 1826 and former Prime Minister of thailandPrayut Chan-o-cha who served as a prime minister from 2014-2019.
Theprovincial seal depicts the revered heroine of Khorat,Thao Suranari (Thai: ท้าวสุรนารี).
A monument to Thao Suranari (real name:Khunying Mo; 1771–1852) stands in front of the oldPratu Chumphon gate. Also called "The Great Heroine of Khorat", Kunying Mo was the wife of the Siamese-appointed deputy governor of Nakhon Ratchasima during the reign of King Rama III. In 1826, Khunying Mo managed to repel theLaotian army led by PrinceAnouvong ofVientiane who tried to reinstate control over the Khorat plateau. KingRama III conferred the title ofThao Suranari on Khunying Mo, as well as additional ones honouring her bravery.
Theprovincial tree and flower is thesathon (Millettia leucantha). The provincial aquatic animal isHoven's carp (Leptobarbus hoevenii).
The provincial motto is "Land of brave women, fine silk material, Khorat rice noodles,Phimai Historical Park, and Dan Kwian ceramics".
The provincial color is orange
The province is divided into 32 districts (amphoes). The districts are further subdivided into 263 sub-districts (tambons) and 3,743 villages (mubans).[8]
| Class | Name | Area (km2) | Distance to Provincial Hall (km) | Established | Sub-districts (Units) | Villages (Units) | Population | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | Female | Total | |||||||
| Special | Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima | 755.596 | 0 | 1895 | 25 | 243 | 212,627 | 221,211 | 433,838 |
| 1 | Dan Khun Thot | 1,428.14 | 84 | 1908 | 16 | 220 | 62,571 | 63,347 | 125,918 |
| 1 | Bua Yai | 305.028 | 101 | 1886 | 10 | 121 | 41,855 | 42,278 | 84,133 |
| 1 | Pak Thong Chai | 1,374.32 | 34 | 1910 | 16 | 213 | 56,716 | 58,950 | 115,666 |
| 1 | Phimai | 896.871 | 60 | 1900 | 12 | 208 | 64,421 | 66,024 | 130,445 |
| 1 | Sikhio | 1,247.07 | 45 | 1955 | 12 | 169 | 60,898 | 61,163 | 122,061 |
| 1 | Pak Chong | 1,825.17 | 85 | 1955 | 12 | 217 | 91,146 | 91,685 | 182,831 |
| 2 | Khon Buri | 1,816.85 | 58 | 1939 | 12 | 152 | 46,086 | 47,167 | 93,253 |
| 2 | Chakkarat | 501.672 | 40 | 1953 | 8 | 108 | 34,441 | 34,643 | 69,084 |
| 2 | Chok Chai | 503.917 | 30 | 1905 | 10 | 126 | 37,297 | 39,223 | 76,520 |
| 2 | Non Sung | 676.981 | 37 | 1897 | 16 | 195 | 62,639 | 65,374 | 128,013 |
| 2 | Prathai | 600.648 | 97 | 1961 | 13 | 148 | 38,622 | 38,761 | 77,282 |
| 2 | Sung Noen | 782.853 | 36 | 1901 | 11 | 125 | 38,429 | 40,181 | 78,610 |
| 2 | Huai Thalaeng | 495.175 | 65 | 1961 | 10 | 120 | 37,443 | 37,131 | 74,574 |
| 2 | Chum Phuang | 540.567 | 98 | 1959 | 9 | 130 | 40,918 | 41,038 | 82,161 |
| 3 | Soeng Sang | 1,200.24 | 88 | 1976 | 6 | 84 | 33,733 | 33,302 | 67,032 |
| 3 | Khong | 454.737 | 79 | 1938 | 10 | 155 | 40,052 | 41,076 | 81,128 |
| 3 | Non Thai | 541.994 | 28 | 1900 | 10 | 131 | 36,126 | 37,592 | 73,718 |
| 3 | Kham Sakaesaeng | 297.769 | 50 | 1968 | 7 | 72 | 21,423 | 21,753 | 43,176 |
| 3 | Kaeng Sanam Nang | 107.258 | 130 | 1986 | 5 | 56 | 18,782 | 19,054 | 37,836 |
| 3 | Wang Nam Khiao | 1,130.00 | 70 | 1992 | 5 | 83 | 20,416 | 20,503 | 40,910 |
| 4 | Ban Lueam | 218.875 | 85 | 1976 | 4 | 39 | 10,620 | 10,732 | 21,351 |
| 4 | Nong Bunmak | 590.448 | 52 | 1983 | 9 | 104 | 29,424 | 29,316 | 58,740 |
| 4 | Thepharak | 357.465 | 90 | 1995 | 4 | 58 | 12,002 | 11,451 | 23,453 |
| 4 | Phra Thong Kham | 359.522 | 45 | 1996 | 5 | 74 | 21,260 | 21,680 | 42,940 |
| 4 | Sida | 162.825 | 85 | 1997 | 5 | 50 | 12,087 | 12,133 | 24,220 |
| 4 | Bua Lai | 106.893 | 103 | 1997 | 4 | 45 | 12,374 | 12,450 | 24,824 |
| 4 | Non Daeng | 193.407 | 30 | 1989 | 5 | 65 | 12,597 | 12,984 | 25,581 |
| 4 | Kham Thale So | 203.605 | 22 | 1966 | 5 | 46 | 14,091 | 14,021 | 28,112 |
| 4 | Mueang Yang | 255.522 | 110 | 1995 | 4 | 44 | 14,321 | 14,038 | 28,359 |
| 4 | Lam Thamenchai | 308.457 | 120 | 1996 | 4 | 59 | 16,114 | 15,953 | 32,067 |
| 4 | Chaloem Phra Kiat | 254.093 | 18 | 1996 | 5 | 61 | 16,966 | 17,411 | 34,377 |
As of 26 November 2019 there are:[9] one Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 90 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Nakhon Ratchasima municipality has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Bua Yai, Mueang Pak, Pak Chong and Sikhio municipalities have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 85 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon).The non-municipal areas are administered by 243 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon). Nakhon Ratchasima is also home of theKlongpai Central Prison.[10]
Khorat's economy has traditionally been heavily dependent on agriculture. It is known as a processing centre for Isan's production of rice, tapioca, and sugar. The Isan region accounts for half of Thailand's exports of those commodities. Khorat is also one of two sites in Thailand manufacturing disk drives bySeagate Technology, employing 12,100 workers in Khorat.[5][11]
Nakhon Ratchasima hasNakhon Ratchasima Airport, but it has no scheduled flights. The nearest working airport is in Buriram and has flights to and from Bangkok.
The railway system in Nakhon Ratchasima is on both northeastern routes fromBangkok Railway Station. Nakhon Ratchasima province has eight main railway stations. In 2017, a 60-kilometre dual-track line will connect Korat toKhon Kaen province. It is the first segment of a dual track network that will connect Isan with theLaem Chabang seaport. Mueang District is served by two stations:Nakhon Ratchasima railway station andThanon Chira Junction railway station.[5]
Highway 2 (Mittraphap Road) is the main route that connects nine districts in Nakhon Ratchasima including Muang district. This route also connects Nakhon Ratchasima to Saraburi and Khon Kaen provinces. Hwy 24 links Si Khio District from Hwy 2 to Pak Thongcha, Chok Chai, and Nong Bunnak Districts and to Buriram province. A new motorway connecting Khorat to Bangkok is under construction in 2016 and will reduce travel time on the 250 kilometre journey to just over two hours.[5]
Nakhon Ratchasima has hospitals in mostly the public sector, but some in the private sector. Its main hospital isMaharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, which is the largest provincial hospital operated by the Ministry of Public Health and one of the main hospitals for theMOPH-Mahidol CPIRD Program.[12] The province also has a university hospital, which isSuranaree University of Technology Hospital of theInstitute of Medicine, Suranaree University of Technology.
Nakhon Ratchasima F.C. play inThai League 1 top tier of Thailand football league. Despite the city of Korat having a population in excess of 400,000 and Nakhon Ratchasima province having a population in excess of 2.5 million, Nakhon Ratchasima F.C. struggled to attract more than 400 for most home games throughout their history, the club play in the80th Birthday Stadium.
Korat United Football Club (Thai สโมสรโคราช ยูไนเต็ด), as of 2016, played in theThailand Amateur League.
Nakhon Ratchasima is the home of the four-timesMen's Volleyball Thailand League winner,Nakhon Ratchasima the Mall and the three-timesWomen's Volleyball Thailand League winner,Nakhon Ratchasima the Mall.
There are four universities in the area.
| Health | Education | Employment | Income |
 |  |  |  |
| 33 | 58 | 10 | 55 |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation |
 |  |  | .png) |
| 29 | 26 | 58 | 30 |
| Province Krabi, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6471 is "average", occupies place 30 in the ranking. | |||
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using theHuman achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.[3]
| Rank | Classification |
| 1–13 | "High" |
| 14–29 | "Somewhat high" |
| 30–45 | "Average" |
| 46–61 | "Somewhat low" |
| 62–77 | "Low" |
| Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings |
 |
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(Thai:โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด,RTGS: Khorat, malet, si sawat)
The Korat cat is anatural breed, and one of the oldest stable cat breeds. Originating in Nakhon Ratchasima province atPhimai,[14] it is named after its province of origin. In Thailand the breed is known assi sawat, meaning "colour of thesawat seed" (bluish-gray). Korat cats are distinguished not only by the colour of their fur. Genuine Korat cats have a heart-shaped face when viewed from any angle and shorter grey hair with silver tips. The true breed's eyes are yellow with an inner green circle. They must be slender and agile. The cat's tail must be slender. Cats with crooked tails are considered inauspicious.[14]
In 1965, Korat cats were first registered in the US by the Korat Cat Fanciers Association. The cats that formed the breed were first imported from Thailand by Jean L. Johnson in 1959. In 1966 the breed was accepted by theCat Fanciers' Association (CFA). The Korat breed is now accepted by cat associations around the world.[14]
The International Maew Boran Association (TIMBA) ("maew boran" means "ancient cat") was formed in Thailand to provide a registry of and pedigrees for Thai cats, including Korats, and to provide a voice in English for Thai breeders as "...Thai breeders...do not speak English, andfarang breeders do not speak Thai.".[15][14]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)20 Nakhon Ratchasima: 1 PAO, 1 City mun., 4 Town mun., 85 Subdistrict mun., 243 SAO.
Nakhon Ratchasima travel guide from WikivoyagePlaces adjacent to Nakhon Ratchasima province | |
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Nakhon Ratchasima(capital) | ||
| districts (amphoe) |
|  |
| Cities and Towns | ||
| Sports | ||
| Natural Sights | ||
| Historical Sights | ||
| Transportation |
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| Health | ||
Tourism inNakhon Ratchasima Province | ||
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| City ofNakhon Ratchasima |  | |
| Upper section | ||
| Lower section | ||
14°58′20″N102°6′0″E / 14.97222°N 102.10000°E /14.97222; 102.10000
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
