Chaiyaphum ( th, ชัยภูมิ, ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

(''changwat''), located in central northeastern Thailand , also called

Isan Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...

. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise)

Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...

Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Ratchasima ( th, นครราชสีมา, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat (, ), a shortened form of its name. It is the governmental seat of ...

Lopburi Lopburi ( th, ลพบุรี, , ) is the capital city of Lopburi Province in Thailand. It is about northeast of Bangkok. It has a population of 58,000. The town (''thesaban mueang'') covers the whole ''tambon'' Tha Hin and parts of Th ...

, and

Phetchabun Phetchabun is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of Phetchabun Province. It covers the ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Phetchabun District, along the Pa Sak River. As of 2005, it had a population of 23,823. Phetchabun lies north o ...

Toponymy

The word ''chaiya'' originates from the

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

word ''jaya'' meaning 'victory', and the word ''phum'' from Sanskrit ''bhumi'' meaning 'earth' or 'land'. Hence the name of the province literally means 'land of victory'. The Malay/Indonesian/Sanskrit word ''jayabumi'' is equivalent.

Geography

The province is bisected by the Phetchabun mountain range, with the highest elevation in the province at 1,222 m. The east of the province is part of the

Khorat Plateau The Khorat Plateau ( th, ที่ราบสูงโคราช) is a plateau in the northeastern Thai region of Isan. The plateau forms a natural region, named after the short form of Nakhon Ratchasima, a historical barrier controlling access ...

. The total forest area is or 31.4 percent of provincial area.

Tat Ton National Park Tat Ton National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติตาดโตน) is a national park in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. The park is in the Laen Kha mountain range. It features waterfalls and mountain highland scenery. On 31 ...

is in the northwest, featuring some scenic waterfalls and dry

dipterocarp Dipterocarpaceae is a family of 16 genera and about 695 known species of mainly tropical lowland rainforest trees. The family name, from the type genus ''Dipterocarpus'', is derived from Greek (''di'' = two, ''pteron'' = wing and ''karpos'' = f ...

forests. The biggest attraction of the

Sai Thong National Park Sai Thong National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติไทรทอง) is a national park in Thailand's Chaiyaphum Province. This mountainous park features waterfalls, scenic viewpoints, and a seasonal flower field. Geograph ...

in the west is the Sai Thong waterfall, but also some fields of the

Siam tulip ''Curcuma alismatifolia'', Siam tulip or summer tulip ( th, ปทุมมา, ; , ; , ) is a tropical plant native to Laos, northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, but to the various ginger species ...

. Similar fields can be found in the

Pa Hin Ngam National Park Pa Hin Ngam ( th, ป่าหินงาม) is a national park in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. "Hin ngam" means "beautiful stone", "pa" means "forest". The park got its name from the strange rock formations at the west end of the park. Erosi ...

in the southwest. This park's name ('beautiful rock forest') derives from the strangely-shaped rock formations found there.

Phu Laenkha National Park Phu or ''variation'', may refer to: Places *Phủ, prefecture in 15th–19th century Vietnam People Given name *Phu Dorjee (died 1987), first Indian to climb Mount Everest without oxygen *Phu Dorjee Sherpa (died 1969), first Nepali to climb Mount ...

covers 200 km² of forested hills northwest of Chaiyaphum city.

National parks

There are a total of six national parks, ofwhich four are in region 7 (Nakhon Ratchasima) and Nam Nao in region 11 (Phitsanulok) and Nam Phong in region 8 (Khon Kaen) of Thailand's protected areas. *

Nam Nao National Park Nam Nao National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติน้ำหนาว, ) is a protected area in Phetchabun Province in northern Thailand. The park is a large forest filled with pineries, grasslands, and jungle. The park is ho ...

, *

, * Nam Phong National Park, *

, *

Wildlife sanctuaries

There are a total of three wildlife sanctuaries, ofwhich two along with one other wildlife sanctuary, make up region 7 (Nakhon Ratchasima) and Tabo–Huai Yai in region 11 (Phitsanulok) of Thailand's protected areas. * Phu Khiao Wildlife Sanctuary, *

Tabo–Huai Yai Wildlife Sanctuary Tabo–Huai Yai Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าตะเบาะ-ห้วยใหญ่;) is a wildlife sanctuary in Bueng Sam Phan, Nong Phai, Mueang Phetchabun districts of Phetch ...

, * Pha Phueng Wildlife Sanctuary,

History

The history of the city of Chaiyaphum dates back to the Khmer Empire in the 12th century, when it was a small city on the route from

Angkor Angkor ( km, អង្គរ , 'Capital city'), also known as Yasodharapura ( km, យសោធរបុរៈ; sa, यशोधरपुर),Headly, Robert K.; Chhor, Kylin; Lim, Lam Kheng; Kheang, Lim Hak; Chun, Chen. 1977. ''Cambodian-Engl ...

to Prasat Singh ( Kanchanaburi province). In 1817 the area was settled by

Lao people The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population. The majority of Lao people adhere t ...

led by Nai Lae, an official of King

Anouvong Chao Anouvong ( lo, ເຈົ້າອານຸວົງສ໌; th, เจ้าอนุวงศ์; ), or regnal name Xaiya Setthathirath V ( lo, ໄຊຍະເສດຖາທິຣາຊທີ່ຫ້າ; th, ไชยเชษฐาธ� ...

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

, which was a tributary state of the Thai monarch. They settled in Baan Nam Khun Nong E Chan in Nakhon Ratchasima province, but soon abandoned it in favor of Ban Luang (today's city of Chaiyaphum). In 1826 Anouvong rebelled against the Thai King

Rama III Nangklao ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระนั่งเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว, ; 31 March 1788 – 2 April 1851), birth name Thap ( th, ทับ), also styled Rama III, was the third king of Siam ...

, seeking to gain complete independence. Nai Lae, by then made a

chao praya The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand. Et ...

by the Thai monarch, supported the Siamese troops. Chao Phaya Lae was killed defending his city against Anouvong's army, but Anouvong was defeated by Thai forces weeks later and Anouvong taken in chains to

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

. King Rama III remembered Chao Phraya Lae for his loyalty and awarded him the title Phraya Phakdi Chumpon. He is still a local hero and his statue has become a symbol of the province.

People

Most people in Chaiyaphum province are ethnically Lao. The first language of most people is the Isan language, a dialect of the

Lao language Lao, sometimes referred to as Laotian (, 'Lao' or , 'Lao language'), is a Kra–Dai language of the Lao people. It is spoken in Laos, where it is the official language for around 7 million people, as well as in northeast Thailand, where it ...

Economy

The principal crops of Chaiyaphum include

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but wh ...

sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...

, and

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...

root.

Chulabhorn Dam Chulabhorn Dam (เขื่อนจุฬาภรณ์) is a dam in Tambon Thung Lui Lai, Khon San District, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. It impounds the Phrom River, a tributary of the Mekong. The dam has diverted the Nam Phrong River. As ...

, in Thung Lui Lai Subdistrict, Khon San district is a major source of irrigation water. Due to the severe drought in 2019, the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) is proposing to build three more dams in Chaiyaphum: Wang Saphung Dam in Nong Bua Daeng District, Lam Nam Chee Dam in Ban Khwao District, and Prong Khun Petch Dam in Nong Bua Rawe District. The dams would have a combined capacity of 160 million m³ of water, which could irrigate 127,000

rai RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

of farmland.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows a triangular flag, a symbol of victory in war. The provincial tree is the Siamese senna (''

Cassia siamea ''Senna siamea'', also known as Siamese cassia, kassod tree, cassod tree and cassia tree, is a legume in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, although its exact origin is unknown. It is a medium-size, ev ...

''), and the provincial flower the Siam Tulip (''

Curcuma alismatifolia ''Curcuma alismatifolia'', Siam tulip or summer tulip ( th, ปทุมมา, ; , ; , ) is a tropical plant native to Laos, northern Thailand, and Cambodia. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, but to the various ginger species ...

''). The provincial slogan เมืองโบราณ บ้านนักสู้ ภูเสียดฟ้า ป่าช้างหลาย ทุ่งไพรรก น้ำตกใส ผ้าไหมดี สตรีงาม แดนธรรมแดนทอง translates to 'Enchanted city, home to heroes, mountain peaks, elephant forests, waterfalls, beautiful silk, lovely ladies, conscientious Buddhists'.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into 16 districts (''

amphoe An amphoe (sometimes also ''amphur'', th, อำเภอ, )—usually translated as "district"—is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Groups of ''amphoe'' or districts make up the provinces, and are analogous to countie ...

s''). The districts are further divided into 124 subdistricts (''

tambon ''Tambon'' ( th, ตำบล, ) is a local governmental unit in Thailand. Below district (''amphoe'') and province (''changwat''), they form the third administrative subdivision level. there were 7,255 tambons, not including the 180 ''khwaeng'' ...

s'') and 1393 villages ('' mubans'').

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Chaiyaphum Provincial Administration Organisation (') and 36 municipal (''thesaban'') areas in the province. Chaiyaphum has town (''

thesaban mueang Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system. The mu ...

'') status. Further 35 subdistrict municipalities (''

thesaban tambon Thesaban ( th, เทศบาล, , ) are the municipalities of Thailand. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system. The mu ...

''). The non-municipal areas are administered by 106 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (''ongkan borihan suan tambon'').

Human achievement index 2017

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

Human achievement index Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

(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.

Gallery

File:Sai Thong National Park Chaiyaphum Thailand.jpg,

File:Ham hod clift2.jpg, Pha Ham Hot, Sai Thong National Park File:Hum hod clift.jpg, Pha Ham Hot, Sai Thong National Park File:Saithong.jpg, Pathumma (''

''), Sai Thong National Park File:อุทยานแห่งชาติภูแลนคา7.jpg, Phu Laen Kha National Park File:อุทยานแห่งชาติภูแลนคา5.jpg, Phu Laen Kha National Park File:อุทยานแห่งชาติภูแลนคา4.jpg, Phu Laen Kha National Park File:1105 - Pa Hin Ngam National Park.jpg, Pathumma (''Curcuma alismatifolia''), Pa Hin Ngam National Park

References

External links

Golden Jubilee Network province guide
currently empty--> *https://web.archive.org/web/20100106134642/http://www.chaiyaphum.go.th/ Official website (Thai) {{Authority control Provinces of Thailand