Mae Wang ( th, แม่วาง, ) is a district ('' amphoe'') in the central part of

Chiang Mai province Chiang Mai ( th, เชียงใหม่, ; nod, , ) is the largest Province (''changwat'') of Thailand. It lies in upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It is bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lam ...

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 ...

. The largest settlement and administrative seat of Mae Wang is Ban Kad, a satellite town of Chiang Mai. Across Mae Wang district, the ethnic Hill Tribe people are more present than in other parts of Thailand. Groups with large populations in the district include the

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

people,

Hmong Hmong may refer to: * Hmong people, an ethnic group living mainly in Southwest China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand * Hmong cuisine * Hmong customs and culture ** Hmong music ** Hmong textile art * Hmong language, a continuum of closely related to ...

and Akha peoples. In the lowlands near Ban Kad Thai people are more common, and as elevations increase on the Western slopes of

Doi Inthanon Doi Inthanon ( th, ดอยอินทนนท์, ) is the highest mountain in Thailand. It is in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. This mountain is an ultra prominent peak, known in the past as ''Doi Luang'' ('big mountain') or '' ...

, ethnic minorities become more common. Past Mae Sa Pok, on Rural Road 1013, The villages are almost exclusively Karen, with Hmong people living in higher elevations.

Geography

Mae Wang district occupies the western slopes of

Thanon Thong Chai Range The Thanon Thong Chai Range ( th, ทิวเขาถนนธงชัย, , formerly Thanon Range; Burmese ''Tanen Taunggyi'') is a mountain range in northern Thailand. Its tallest peak is Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand. Most ...

(Pronounced "Tanon Tong Chai"), and elevations in the district increase towards Thailand's tallest mountain. The dominant feature of the district, and its namesake, the Mae Wang River, rises in the peaks and flows east towards Chiang Mai before eventually joining the

Ping River The Ping River ( th, แม่น้ำปิง, , ), along with the Nan River, is one of the two main tributaries of the Chao Phraya River. It originates at Doi Thuai in the Daen Lao Range, in Chiang Dao district, Chiang Mai province. After p ...

on the border of Chiang Mai and

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 ...

. The majority of the District's 30,000 people live in the valley of this river, and many weirs have been built along its course to irrigate rice fields. Near its source, a Hmong village renowned for its Sakura blossoms, Khun Wang, is home to Thailand's highest school. Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Doi Lo, Chom Thong, Mae Chaem, Samoeng, Hang Dong and San Pa Tong of Chiang Mai Province. Mae Wang District Elevation

Flora

Sapria Himalayana ''Sapria himalayana'', commonly known as the hermit's spittoon, is a rare holoparasitic flowering plant related to ''Rafflesia'' found in the Eastern Himalayas.Adhikari, D., Arunachalam, A., Majumder, M., Sarmah, R. & Khan, M.L. (2003) "A rare ...

is a rare holo-parasitic flower related to

Rafflesia ''Rafflesia'' () is a genus of parasitic flowering plants in the family Rafflesiaceae. The species have enormous flowers, the buds rising from the ground or directly from the lower stems of their host plants; one species has the largest flowers i ...

. This particular specimen was found in Mae Wang District.

History

The minor district (''

king 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 counti ...

'') was established on 1 April 1990, when the four ''tambons'' Ban Kat, Thung Pi, Thung Ruang Thong, and Mae Win were split off from San Pa Tong district. On 7 September 1995 it was upgraded to a full district.

Administration

The district is divided into five sub-districts (''

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 '' khwaen ...

''), which are further subdivided into 62 villages ('' muban''). Ban Kat is a township (''

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 ...

'') which covers parts of ''tambons'' Ban Kat and Don Pao. There are a further five tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

Gallery

Rice farmers Mae Wang Chiang Mai Province

References

External links

amphoe.com
(archived) Mae Wang {{ChiangMai-geo-stub