The Khwae Noi River ( th, แม่น้ำแควน้อย, , ) is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wat ...

in northern

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 b ...

. It shares the same name as another river in Thailand, the popular tourist attraction also known as "The River Kwai." These are two distinct bodies of water.

Etymology

The first element khwae (Thai: แคว) means tributary. The second element noi (Thai: น้อย) means small.

Geography

The river's source lies in the mountains of

Chat Trakan District Chat Trakan ( th, ชาติตระการ, ) is the northernmost district (''amphoe'') of Phitsanulok province, central Thailand. History ''Mueang'' Chat Trakan was an ancient city of the same era as ''Mueang'' Nakhon Thai. Originally par ...

, Phitsanulok Province, within

Namtok Chat Trakan National Park Namtok Chat Trakan National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาดิน้ำตกชาติตระการ, ) is a national park located in Chat Trakan and Nakhon Thai Districts of Phitsanulok Province of Thailand, establish ...

. From there, it flows past the agricultural lands of in the Chat Trakan District, and through the Wat Bot, Wang Thong and Phrom Phiram Districts.Khwae Noi Dam Project According to the Royal Initiative
/ref> Finally, the Khwae Noi River joins the

Nan River The Nan River ( th, แม่น้ำน่าน, , ) is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River. Geography The Nan River originates in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province. The provinces ...

within Chom Thong, Mueang Phitsanulok District. The Khwae Noi River is part of the Chao Phraya River System which ultimately drains into the

Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in ...

.ThaiTambon.com
/ref>

History

The Khwae Noi River has historically been a main waterway, highly significant to the residents of Phitsanulok Province and surrounding areas.Office of the Royal Developments Project Board-The Royal-Initiated Khwae Noi Dam Project, Wat Bot District, Phitsanulok Province
The Khwae Noi River, along with the larger

brought growth and prosperity and served as a communication route for Phitsanulok, and the two rivers gave rise to riparian ways of life which heavily influenced the simple traditional culture of the Thai people in the region.

Tributaries

The principal tributaries of the Khwae Noi are the Om Sing River and the Fua River.

Khwae Noi Dam Project

In recent times, due to climate change, the river has flooded during rainy seasons and damaging valuable farmland and also carrying too much water into the Nan (of which it is a tributary), thereby causing further damage. During the dry season, the water level has been too low, causing drought and harming the agricultural communities in its proximity. As a result of increasing problems with the flow of the river, the royally-initiated Khwae Noi Dam Project was begun in Wat Bot. Construction of the dam was completed in 2008.

References

{{Coord, 16, 53, 55.25, N, 100, 13, 47.96, E, region:TH-65_type:river_source:dewiki, display=title Rivers of Thailand Nan River