Lamphun ( th, ลำพูน, ) is a 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 northern Thailand, capital of

Lamphun Province Lamphun ( th, ลำพูน, ; Northern Thai: ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat''), lies in upper northern Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Chiang Mai, Lampang, and Tak. Geography Lamphun is ...

. It covers the whole ''

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'' ...

'' Nai Mueang of

Mueang Lamphun district Mueang Lamphun ( th, เมืองลำพูน; ) is the capital district ('' amphoe mueang'') of Lamphun province, northern Thailand. Geography Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Mae Tha and Pa Sang of Lamphun Province ...

. As of 2006 it has a population of 14,030. Lamphun lies north of

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 ...

and south of

Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...

History

Lamphun was founded by Queen Chama Thevi as the capital of the Haripunchai Kingdom, the last and most northerly Mon kingdom in the area which now forms

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 ...

. Around south of

, it was constructed in the shape of a conch shell, following the Khuang River on its east side and divided by moats at the remaining points of the compass. Queen Chama Thevi is remembered in the wat of her name, which is said to be the resting place of her ashes. Near the town's main morning market in the south-west of the city is a statue of the queen at which offerings are still made today by citizens. While still living in the north Mangrai the Great, King Mangrai was visited by some merchants from the Mon Kingdom, and hearing of the wealth of Lamphun he determined to conquer it, even against the advice of his councillors. As it was deemed impossible to take the city by force, he sent a skillful merchant called Ai Fa to gain the confidence of the King Yi Ba, and in time he became the chief minister and managed to undermine the king's authority. In 1281, with the people in a state of discontent, Mangrai defeated the Mon Kingdom, and added the city and its wealth to his kingdom, while Yi Ba, the last king of Hariphunchai, was forced to flee south to Lampang. Lamphun was then incorporated into the new Lanna Kingdom. Ai Fa was subsequently appointed king, and King Mangrai began building the fortress Wiang Kum Kam as his new capital. Lamphun is host to one of northern Thailand's most important temples, Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, featured on the reverse of the one-satang coin. The ''phra that'' in the title indicates the presence of a Buddha relic, in this case one of his hairs, which was interred in the chedi in 897, which is probably the founding date of the wat. The town is surrounded by lush countryside punctuated by rice fields and orchards of the popular fruit, longan, which is celebrated in a festival every August.

Geography

The town is in the Ping River valley, between the Thanon Thong Chai Range on the west and the Khun Tan Range in the east.

Climate

References

External links

*
Lamphun town Website
{{Authority control Populated places in Lamphun province Cities and towns in Thailand Old Cities of Mon people ru:Лампхун (провинция)