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Phatthalung province

Phatthalung (, ) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla, Satun, and Trang. Phatthalung is essentially a landlocked province, one of the only two in southern Thailand, the other being Yala.

History

Phatthalung was formerly known as Mardelong (Jawi: مردلوڠ) in Malay, especially during the time when the region came under Malay-Muslim influence.

Phatthalung became one of twelve royal cities during the reign of King Ramathibodi I of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in the 14th century. At the end of the 18th century, King Rama I submitted the city to the Ministry of Defense, which was responsible for all the southern provinces. In 1896, during the administrative reforms of King Chulalongkorn, Phatthalung became part of the Monthon Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1924, King Rama VI ordered to move the city of Phatthalung to the present-day Khuha Sawan Subdistrict.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows the 177 meter high Phu Khao Ok Thalu mountain, the symbol of the province. The provincial tree and flower is the sweet shorea (Shorea roxburghii). The provincial aquatic life is the tinfoil barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeld), also known locally as pla lam-pam (Thai: ปลาลำปำ), the eponymous of the striking local water source Songkhla Lake, or known in Phatthalung as Lam Pam Lake or Thale Noi and Phatthalung Lake.

Geography

The province is on the Malay Peninsula. It borders to the east the large and shallow Songkhla Lake, and to the west the Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range. Khao Pu–Khao Ya National Park is at the border with Trang. Forests cover , or 16.3 percent of the province's area.

National park

In Phatthalung province there is one national park, along with two other national parks, make up region 6 (Songkhla) of Thailand's protected areas. (Visitors in Fiscal year 2024).

Wildlife sanctuary

There are two wildlife sanctuaries in region 6 (Songkhla), of which one is in Phatthalung province.

Non-hunting areas

There are a total of seven non-hunting areas in region 6 (Songkhla), of which three are in Phatthalung province.

Demographics

The majority of the province's populace are Thai Buddhists. Muslims account for 11.1 percent of the population. Many of Phatthalung's Muslims have some ethnic Malay ancestry, but over the centuries they had intermarried with the Thais and adopted Thai cultural norms.<br> Of the remaining 0.3%, the following religions are: Christianity 0.2% Sikhism 0.1% Confucianism 0.02% and Hinduism 0.2%.

Economy

Phatthalung is the home of real-world implementation of LoRaWAN Internet of things.

Transport

Air

Phatthalung does not have an airport. The nearest airport is Trang Airport, which is 66&nbsp;km from the center of Phatthalung.

Rail

The main station in the province is the Phatthalung Railway Station.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

Phatthalung is divided into 11 districts (amphoes). The districts are further divided into 65 subdistricts (tambons) and 626 villages (mubans).

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Phatthalung Provincial Administration Organisation (') and 49 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Phatthalung has town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 48 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 24 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Tourism

Sights

Phraya Thukkharat (Chuai) Monument (อนุสาวรีย์พระยาทุกขราษฎร์ (ช่วย)) - Phraya Thukkharat was a former monk known as Phra Maha Chuai. During the Nine Armies War in the reign of King Rama I, then Phra Maha Chuai had assisted Phraya Phatthalung, who had led a force of villagers to defeat an invading Burmese army. Later, when he had left the monkhood, he was awarded the royal title Phraya Thukkharat and was an assistant to the city's ruler.

Culture

  • Manora or Nora (มโนราห์หรือโนรา) A local performing art in the south. It was an influence from the south of India, together with Lakhon Chatri (theatrical show by males). However, some dancing patterns were changed to match folk cultures in each province. There are 12 major dancing patterns. The patterns are done to lyrics sung by the dancers, either impromptu or composed in advance.
  • Talung (ตะลุง) (shadow plays) is a popular folk performance of the south. Talung puppets are made of dried cattle hide, cut beautifully into the characters of each shadow play. The puppets are usually painted black and each of them is held firmly between split bamboo slats called "mai tap". A puppet's mouth and hands will move in accordance with the narration. A Talung ensemble comprises the puppet masters (who are also the vocalists) and a band, totalling no more than eight persons. The musical instruments include pipes, drums, phon (a special kind of drum), and a gong.
  • Khaeng Phon Lak Phra (แข่งโพนลากพระ) A type of Chak Phra or Lak Phra, a religious tradition in the south, but in Phatthalung it has different characteristics from other provinces. This festival is held on the full moon of the 11th month according to the Thai lunar calendar. The festival celebrates the ending of the Buddhist lent (Wan Ok Phansa). According to local tradition, the believers carry the Buddha statues from the temples to the river and back. Several parades are held. In every parade drummers that represent one of the shrines in the city participate. In addition to the colored parades, various culture events take place like; drumming contests between the temples, dance shows, Buddha parades contests, water sports contests on Songkhla Lake, various exhibitions, etc. The type of drum used is called "Taphon" or simply "Phon". Hence the name of the festival.

Human achievement index 2022

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human 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.

References

External links