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Phichit province

Coordinates: 16°26′38″N 100°20′52″E / 16.44389°N 100.34778°E / 16.44389; 100.34778
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Phichit
พิจิตร
From top: Wat Pho Prathap Chang, an ancient temple in Pho Prathap Chang district, believed to be the birthplace of the Luang Sorasak who later became a King of Ayutthaya, Phichit railway station stands out with its historic beautiful neoclassical building from the reign of King Rama V, Bueng Si Fai
Flag of Phichit
Official seal of Phichit
Nickname(s): 
Mueang Chalawan
(city of Chalawan)
Motto(s): 
ถิ่นประสูติพระเจ้าเสือ แข่งเรือยาวประเพณี พระเครื่องดีหลวงพ่อเงิน เพลิดเพลินบึงสีไฟ ศูนย์รวมใจหลวงพ่อเพชร รสเด็ดส้มท่าข่อย ข้าวเจ้าอร่อยลือเลื่อง ตำนานเมืองชาละวัน
("Hometown of Phra Chao Suea. The long boat racing festival. Superb amulets of Luang Pho Ngoen. Delightful Bueng Si Fai. Unified by Luang Pho Phet. Tasty Tha Khoi pomelos. Delicious and famed rice. The legend of Chalawan city.")
Map of Thailand highlighting Phichit province
Map of Thailand highlighting Phichit province
CountryThailand
CapitalPhichit
Government
 • GovernorAditepp Ghamonwaet (since December 2023)
Area
 • Total
4,319 km2 (1,668 sq mi)
 • RankRanked 51st
Population
 (2019)[2]
 • Total
536,311
 • RankRanked 50th
 • Density124/km2 (320/sq mi)
  • RankRanked 38th
Human Achievement Index
 • HAI (2022)0.6247 "low"
Ranked 62nd
GDP
 • Totalbaht 45 billion
(US$1.6 billion) (2019)
Time zoneUTC 7 (ICT)
Postal code
66xxx
Calling code055 & 056
ISO 3166 codeTH-66
Vehicle registrationพิจิตร
Websitewww.phichit.go.th

Phichit (Thai: พิจิตร, pronounced [pʰí(ʔ).t͡ɕìt], lit.'beautiful') is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (changwat) lies in lower northern Thailand and 330 km due north of Bangkok. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Nakhon Sawan, and Kamphaeng Phet.

Geography

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Luang Pho Phet, Wat Tha Luang, Phichit province

The Nan and Yom Rivers flow through Phichit province, joining shortly before the Chao Phraya is formed. The province mainly consists of low fertile river plains, making rice and lotus the main crops.[5] The total forest area is just 17 km2 (6.6 sq mi) or 0.4 percent of provincial area.[1]

History

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The town of Phichit was established in 1058 by Phraya Kotabongthevaraja (พระยาโคตระบอง), and was first part of the Sukhothai Kingdom, and later of Ayutthaya. An old temple in Pho Prathap Chang District is Wat Pho Prathap Chang (วัดโพธิ์ประทับช้าง). It was built by Phra Chao Suea, an Ayutthaya king, in 1701 at a site reputed to be his birthplace. The site is surrounded by double-walls and huge trees, some of which are over 200 years old.[6]

The name of the main city changed several times. At first it was called Sa Luang ('city of the royal pond'). In Ayutthaya times it was called Okhaburi ('city in the swamp'), and then finally Phichit ('beautiful city').

Symbols

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The provincial seal shows a pond, which refers to the old name of Phichit, Mueang Sa Luang ('city of the royal pond'). The banyan tree in front refers to Wat Pho Prathap Chang. The temple was built in 1669–1671 by King Luang Sorasak, who was born in the village of Pho Prathap Chang, between a banyan and a sacred fig.

The flag of Phichit shows the circular provincial seal in the middle. It has three green bars and two white horizontal bars, with the middle bar being interrupted by the seal.

The provincial tree is the ironwood. The provincial flower is the lotus. The provincial aquatic animal is the Siamese crocodile.

The provincial motto (loosely translated) states as follows:

"Hometown of Phra Chao Suea. The long boat racing festival. Superb amulets of Luang Pho Ngoen. Delightful Bueng Si Fai. Unified by Luang Pho Phet. Tasty Tha Khoi pomelos. Delicious and famed rice. The legend of Chalawan city."

Health

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The main hospital in Phichit is Phichit Hospital, operated by the Ministry of Public Health.

Transport

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Rail

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Phichit main station is Phichit railway station.

Administrative divisions

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Map of 12 districts

The province is divided into 12 districts (amphoes). These are further divided into 89 subdistricts (tambons) and 852 villages (mubans).

  1. Mueang Phichit
  2. Wang Sai Phun
  3. Pho Prathap Chang
  4. Taphan Hin
  5. Bang Mun Nak
  6. Pho Thale
  1. Sam Ngam
  2. Thap Khlo
  3. Sak Lek
  4. Bueng Na Rang
  5. Dong Charoen
  6. Wachirabarami

Local government

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As of 26 November 2019 there are:[7] one Phichit Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 28 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Phichit, Taphan Hin and Bang Mun Nak have town (thesaban mueang) status. There are a further 25 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 73 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations (SAO) (ongkan borihan suan tambon).[2]

Human achievement index 2022

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Health Education Employment Income
45 51 68 10
Housing Family Transport Participation
10 67 52 67
Province Phichit, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6247 is "low", occupies place 62 in the ranking.

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.[3]

Rank Classification
  1 - 13 "high"
14 - 29 "somewhat high"
30 - 45 "average"
46 - 61 "somewhat low"
62 - 77 "low"

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ a b "ตารางที่ 2 พี้นที่ป่าไม้ แยกรายจังหวัด พ.ศ.2562" [Table 2 Forest area Separate province year 2019]. Royal Forest Department (in Thai). 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021, information, Forest statistics Year 2019, Thailand boundary from Department of Provincial Administration in 2013{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. ^ a b รายงานสถิติจำนวนประชากรและบ้านประจำปี พ.ส.2562 [Statistics, population and house statistics for the year 2019]. Registration Office Department of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior. stat.bora.dopa.go.th (in Thai). 31 December 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b "ข้อมูลสถิติดัชนีความก้าวหน้าของคน ปี 2565 (PDF)" [Human Achievement Index Databook year 2022 (PDF)]. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) (in Thai). Retrieved 12 March 2024, page 50{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ^ "Gross Regional and Provincial Product, 2019 Edition". <>. Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). July 2019. ISSN 1686-0799. Retrieved 22 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Phichit: General Info". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  6. ^ "WAT PHO PRATHAP CHANG". Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Number of local government organizations by province". dla.go.th. Department of Local Administration (DLA). 26 November 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019. 35 Phichit: 1 PAO, 3 Town mun., 25 Subdistrict mun., 73 SAO.
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16°26′38″N 100°20′52″E / 16.44389°N 100.34778°E / 16.44389; 100.34778