Ranong ระนอง (Thai) | |
|---|---|
| Other transcription(s) | |
| • Southern Thai | ระนอง(pronounced[ràʔ.nɔ̂ːŋ]) |
      From top: Kam Tok island,Phu Khao Ya, Raksawarin Hot Springs,Crinum thaianum also known locally asHom nam, The province main street, Ranong Governor's Grave | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: City of Eight Months of Rain, Four Months of Sunshine[a] | |
| Mottoes: "The Kra Isthmus. Grassy hills. Sweet cashews. Mineral streams. The true pearl, Ranong City."[b] | |
 Map of Thailand highlighting Ranong province | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Capital | Ranong |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Supoj Putikiatkhajon |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,230 km2 (1,250 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 61st |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Total |  192,927 |
| • Rank | 76th |
| • Density | 60/km2 (160/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 69th |
| Human Achievement Index | |
| • HAI (2022) | 0.6291 "somewhat low" Ranked 56th |
| GDP | |
| • Total | baht 27 billion (US$0.9 billion) (2019) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 85xxx |
| Calling code | 077 |
| ISO 3166 code | TH-85 |
| Website | ranong |
Ranong Provincial Administrative Organization องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัดระนอง | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Ranong Provincial Administrative Organization | |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local administrative divisions |
| • Body | Ranong Provincial Administrative Organization |
| • President | Siharat Sapakul |
| Website | ranongpao |
Ranong[c] is one ofThailand's southernprovinces (changwat), on the west coast along theAndaman Sea. It has the fewest inhabitants of all Thai provinces (making it the least populous of all the Thai provinces). Provinces neighboring Ranong are (clockwise)Chumphon,Surat Thani, andPhang Nga. To the west, it bordersKawthaung,Tanintharyi,Myanmar.
Ranong is on theKra Isthmus, a narrow strip of land, only 44 kilometres (27 mi) wide,[5] that connects Thailand with theMalay Peninsula, on the west of thePhuket mountain range. It has a long coast on theAndaman Sea. The province, together withTrat province, is known for being one of the wettest places in Thailand, the rainy season lasting for about eight months.[6]
Ranong is the least populated province. The total forest area is 1,726 km2 (666 sq mi) or 53.5 percent of provincial area, and 67 percent is mountainous.[7] In former years the major industry wastin mining, but most mines are now exhausted. White clay mining (for the production of porcelain) and fishing are now the main industries, along with rubber andcashew nuts.
The Ngao Mangrove Forest Research Centre, also known as the Ranong Biosphere Reserve, in the north ofKapoe District, covering 189,431rai[5] (303.09 km2), was declared in 1997. It is the fourth biosphere reserve of Thailand, and the only one on the seacoast protecting mangrove forests.
There are four national parks, along with seven other national parks, make upregion 4 (Surat Thani) of Thailand's protected areas. (Visitors in fiscal year 2024)[8]
| Namtok Ngao National Park | 668 km2 (258 sq mi) | (94,691) |
| Mu Ko Ranong National Park | 357 km2 (138 sq mi) | (1,716) |
| Laem Son National Park | 315 km2 (122 sq mi) | (21,911) |
| Lam Nam Kra Buri National Park | 160 km2 (62 sq mi) | (34,135) |
There are four wildlife sanctuaries, along with three other wildlife sanctuaries, make upregion 4 (Surat Thani) of Thailand's protected areas.
| Khlong Nakha Wildlife Sanctuary | 530 km2 (200 sq mi) |
| Khuan Mae Yai Mon Wildlife Sanctuary | 464 km2 (179 sq mi) |
| Thung Raya–Na Sak Wildlife Sanctuary | 338 km2 (131 sq mi) |
| Prince Chumphon South Park Wildlife Sanctuary | 315 km2 (122 sq mi) |
| Location protected areas of Ranong | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Ranong province once was a deputy town ofChumphon in theAyutthaya era (1350–1767).[9] It was a small, mountainous town that protected Chumphon from Burma. The population was very low until the discovery of tin, when people from many cities and foreigners started to visit Ranong to do tin business there. This also gave rise to the name Ranong, which was a distorted form ofrae nong (แร่นอง), meaning "full of minerals".[10] The ruler of Ranong was known after the town asLuang Ranong (Thai:หลวงระนอง)
At the start of theRattanakosin era (1781–present), a wealthy Chinese merchant,Kho Su Jiang bought a majority share of the tin business in Ranong and was appointed tax collector of the region, with the titleLuang Rattana Setti (Thai:หลวงรัตนเศรษฐี), by KingNangklao (Rama III). In 1854, theLuang Ranong died. KingMongkut (Rama IV) then promoted Kho Su Jiang to the position, promoting him toPhra Rattana Setti (Thai:พระรัตนเศรษฐี). By then, Ranong's wealth had increased greatly and through taxation was a significant source of income for the capital, thus in 1877 KingChulalongkorn (Rama V) elevated Ranong to provincial status, answering directly to Bangkok as opposed to Chumphon, with Phra Rattana Setti becoming its first governor.[9]
After theFirst Anglo-Burmese War, when the British assumed control ofTenasserim and theKraburi River became the demarcation line between Siam and British-controlled Burma, Ranong became an important border city where goods were exchanged, a status that it still holds today.
Being located on theKra Isthmus, the narrowest part (44 kilometres) of theMalay Peninsula, a proposal ofa canal through the area has been long suggested, particularly by the French. If successful, traveling from Europe to China would be faster through this route instead of circumnavigating theMalay Peninsula. This was seen as a threat to the financial growth of the harbors ofSingapore andPenang, which at the time were owned by Britain, who therefore forced the suspension of the project. At the end ofWorld War II, Thailand signed a British-imposed treaty called "The Termination of The State of War Between Siam and Allies", which forbade Thailand from digging such a canal without British permission. This treaty was revoked in 1954.[11] Since then, plans for the canal have continued to be suggested and discussed, even in the present day, thoughPrime MinisterPrayut Chan-o-cha said in 2018 that it was not a government priority.[12]
Ranong has also been historically significant as a residence for royal tours of the southern provinces, with many kings of Thailand visiting Ranong in the past. The first was King Chulalongkorn, who stayed at Rattana Ransan palace for three nights in 1890. The palace is now a landmark in Ranong. KingPrajadhipok (Rama VII) visited in 1928, and KingBhumibol (Rama IX) and QueenSirikit visited in 1959.
Most of Thailand receives from 1,200 to 1,600 mm of precipitation per year. Two provinces, Ranong andTrat, receive more than 4,500 mm a year making them the wettest places in the country.[13]
For this reason, Ranong is called"Mueang Fon Paet Daet Si" (เมืองฝนแปดแดดสี่,pronounced[mɯːaŋfǒnpɛ̀ːtdɛ̀ːtsìː],lit. 'the city of eight months of rain and four months of sunshine'), meaning it rains for eight months of the year, and only four months are without rain.[14]
Theprovincial seal shows a castle on top of a hill, as an aide memoire that KingChulalongkorn (Rama V) once visited Ranong and stayed at the Ratana Rangsan Castle on top of the Niveskiri Hill. The number five refers to King Rama V; the castle is Ratana Rangsan Palace; the mountain is Niveshkiri; the royal tray refers to the people of Ranong.[15]
The provincial slogan is, "Kra Isthmus, mountain grass, cashew nut, mineral water stream, and real pearl of Ranong."[15]
Theprovincial tree is theBanaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), and the provincial flower is theorchidDendrobium formosum. Theendemicterrestrial crabPhricotelphusa sirindhorn is the provincial aquatic life.
Ranong is divided into five districts (amphoe). These are further divided into 30 subdistricts (tambon) and 178 villages (muban).[16]
| No. | District | Thai | Malay | Pop. | subdistricts | Villages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mueang Ranong | เมืองระนอง | Bandar Raya Rundung | 93,271 | 9 | 38 |
| 2. | La-un | ละอุ่น | Pak Un | 15,240 | 7 | 30 |
| 3. | Kapoe | กะเปอร์ | Kapur | 22,093 | 5 | 34 |
| 4. | Kra Buri | กระบุรี | Segenting Kera | 48,163 | 7 | 61 |
| 5. | Suk Samran | สุขสำราญ | - | 14,594 | 2 | 15 |
| - | Total | 193,371 | 30 | 178 |
As of December 2023 there are: one Ranong provincial administrative organization - PAO (ongkan borihan suan changwat - o bo cho) and 12 municipal areas (thesaban) in the province. Ranong and Bang Rin have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 10 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon).[16]
| Town municipality | Pop. | website |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Rin | 22,7830 | bangrin |
| Ranong | 17,779 | ranongcity |
| Subdistrict municipality | Pop. | website |
|---|---|---|
| Bang Non | 14,443 | bangnoncity |
| Choporo | 12,950 | jpr |
| Ratchakrut | 9,766 | ratchakrudcity |
| Pak Nam Tha Ruea | 8,071 | paknamtarua |
| Kamphuan | 7,029 | kumpuan |
| Nam Chuet | 3,503 | namchuet |
| La-un | 2,629 | tesabanlaun |
| Ngao | 2,399 | ngaotown-ranong |
| Pak Nam | 2,385 | |
| Kapoe | 1,485 | kapercity |
The non-municipal areas are administered by 19 subdistrict administrative organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
There are five hospitals in the province:
There are total forty fivehealth-promoting hospitals, of which:[17]
Population history of Ranong province is as follows:[18][19]
| 1947 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2011 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21,488 | 38,000 | 59,000 | 83,707 | 117,440 | 161,210 | 183,849 | 194,372 |
There are forty fiveTheravada Buddhist temples in the province.
Phet Kasem Road (Thailand Route 4) runs through the province.Ranong Airport is about 24 kilometres (15 mi) south ofRanong.
ThePort Authority of Thailand operates the Ranong Port, which is Thailand's principalIndian Ocean port. In 2008, theRanong human-smuggling incident resulted in 54 deaths.[20]
| Health | Education | Employment | Income |
 |  |  |  |
| 20 | 67 | 31 | 33 |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation |
 |  |  | .png) |
| 63 | 10 | 50 | 64 |
| Province Ranong, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6291 is "somewhat low", occupies place 56 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 |
 |
Namtok Ngao National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาติน้ำตกหงาว) Covering a total area of approximately 417,500rai (668 km2) it was declared a national park on 3 June 1999.[21]
Ko Chang (Ranong) (เกาะช้าง) island in tambon Ko Phayam. With an area of 18 square kilometres and 80 homes on the entire island. Cashew and para rubber plantations as well as coastal fisheries are the main industries.[22]
Laem Son National Park (อุทยานแห่งชาติแหลมสน) It covers a total area of 196,875rai (31.5 hectares). It also includes islands in the Andaman Sea; namely, Ko Khangkhao and Mu Ko Kam.[23] Places of interest within the national park include:
Raksawarin Hot Springs and Public Park (บ่อน้ำพุร้อนรักษะวาริน) The most famous and popularhot spring of Ranong. It have been analysed by the Department of Science Service to contain important minerals, and it is the only source in Thailand that does not contain any sulphur additives. It is possible to drink from the source, and it is also regarded as pure water. The hot springs and public park is in Ranong town.[24]
Phu Khao Ya (ภูเขาหญ้า) The bald mountain with grass growing all over the mountain, it is extraordinary in that it is a geographical anomaly. This average-sized hill is entirely void of trees leaving it looking, as local residents say, like a "Swiss pasture". Phu Khao Ya can also change color according to the season and time of day. It is situated 12 kilometres (7.4 mi) to the south of Ranong town.[25]
Khlong Naka (คลองนาคา) This wildlife sanctuary is the only home for the aquatic plantCrinum thaianum. This species of plant isendemic to the local stream, and from October till November is when the flowers bloom at their most.[26]
Wat Hat Som Paen (วัดหาดส้มแป้น) The local RanongBuddhist temple. Its highlight, besides worshiping the Buddha, is also admiring the beauty of the stream that flows through the temple, which is also home to a large number of therock mahseer.[27]
, year 2024, provincial level, Excel File, no.85
, page 62
, information, Forest statistics Year 2019
, year 2023, village level, ExcelFile no.8501-8599, ExcelLine 85759-85992
, health zone 11
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link), year 2020
Ranong travel guide from WikivoyagePlaces adjacent to Ranong province | |
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9°58′01″N98°38′08″E / 9.96694°N 98.63556°E /9.96694; 98.63556
