Kantharalak ( th, กันทรลักษ์, ) is a district (''
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 ...
'') in the southeastern part of
Sisaket province, northeastern
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
.
History
The old name of ''Kantharalak'' was ''
Mueang
Mueang ( th, เมือง ''mɯ̄ang'', ), Muang ( lo, ເມືອງ ''mɯ́ang'', ; Tai Nuea: ᥛᥫᥒᥰ ''muang''), Mong ( shn, ''mə́ŋ'', ), Meng () or Mường (Vietnamese), were pre-modern semi-independent city-states or principali ...
Uthumphon Phisai'', controlled by Mueang Khukhan. The central office was in Ban Kan Tuat, Tambon Uthumphon Phisai (not to be confused with latter-day
Uthumphon Phisai district.) The present district office is in Tambon Nam Om.
In 1939 the district name was changed from ''Nam Om'' to ''Kantharalak''.
Etymology
The name ''Kantharalak'' means 'countless ravines', from
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or ''Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of ''Theravāda'' Buddhism ...
''kandara'' ('ravine') and the Sanskrit ''
lakṣa'' (लक्ष), 'a hundred thousand'.
Geography
The district is defined in the south by the
Dangrek Range. Neighboring districts are (from the west clockwise):
Khun Han,
Si Rattana, and
Benchalak of Sisaket Province;
Thung Si Udom and
Nam Khun of
Ubon Ratchathani province;
Preah Vihear and
Oddar Meancheay of
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
.
The
Khao Phra Wihan National Park office is in the district, while the main attraction of the park, the Khmer ruins of
Prasat Preah Vihear
Preah Vihear Temple ( Khmer: ប្រាសាទព្រះវិហារ ''Prasat Preah Vihear'') is an ancient Khmer temple built during the period of the Khmer Empire, that is situated on the top of a cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, i ...
, is across the border in Cambodia.
Administration
Central administration
The district is divided into 20 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''), which are further subdivided into 279 administrative villages (''
muban
Muban ( th, หมู่บ้าน; , ) is the lowest administrative sub-division of Thailand. Usually translated as 'village' and sometimes as 'hamlet', they are a subdivision of a tambon (subdistrict). , there were 74,944 administrative mu ...
s'').
Missing numbers belong to ''tambon'' which now form Benchalak district
Benchalak ( th, เบญจลักษ์, ) is a district (''amphoe'') of Sisaket province, northeastern Thailand.
History
The minor district (''king amphoe'') was created on 31 May 1993, when five ''tambons'' were split off from Kantharala ...
.
Local administration
There is one 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 ...
'') in the district:
*
Kantharalak (Thai: ) consisting of parts of sub-districts Nam Om and Nong Ya Lat.
There are two sub-district 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 ...
'') in the district:
* Nong Ya Lat (Thai: ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nong Ya Lat.
* Suan Kluai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Suan Kluai.
There are 18
subdistrict administrative organizations (SAO) in the district:
* Bueng Malu (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Bueng Malu.
* Kut Salao (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Kut Salao.
* Mueang (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Mueang.
* Sang Mek (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Sang Mek.
* Nam Om (Thai: ) consisting of parts of sub-district Nam Om.
* Lalai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Lalai.
* Rung (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Rung.
* Trakat (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Trakat.
* Chan Yai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Chan Yai.
* Phu Ngoen (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Phu Ngoen.
* Cham (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Cham.
* Krachaeng (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Krachaeng.
* Non Samran (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Non Samran.
* Sao Thong Chai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Sao Thong Chai.
* Khanun (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Khanun.
* Wiang Nuea (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Wiang Nuea.
* Thung Yai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Thung Yai.
* Phu Pha Mok (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Phu Pha Mok.
References
External links
amphoe.com(Thai)
Sisaket Database(Thai)
Kantharalak
{{Sisaket-geo-stub