Phra Tabong Province ( th, พระตะบอง) was a province of
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 ...
, from the late-18th century until it was ceded to
French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
in 1907, and again between 1941-1946 after Thailand recaptured it during the
Japanese occupation of Cambodia in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The province was dissolved and returned to
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 ...
in 1946. The area is now in
Battambang Province,
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 ...
.
Name
''Phra Tabong'' ( th, พระตะบอง) is the Thai version of the name ''Preah Bat Dambang Kranhung'', the namesake of Battambang, who according to Khmer legend threw his staff 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 ...
, landing in the area of modern Battambang.
History
Though Siam had invaded this area of Cambodia at the beginning of the 15th century, Siamese administration of the area was only formally organized in the late-18th century, at the beginning of the
Bangkok Period known as Inner Cambodia or ''Khamen Nai''.
Baen Abhaiwongse, of the
Abhaiwongse family, was installed as governor, with the title ''Chao Phraya Abhayabhubet''. His family governed Phra Tabong as the provincial capital for another five generations, until 1907. In that year Phra Tabong, along with Siemmarat and Sisophon, was ceded to
French Indochina
French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China),; vi, Đông Dương thuộc Pháp, , lit. 'East Ocean under French Control; km, ឥណ្ឌូចិនបារាំង, ; th, อินโดจีนฝรั่งเศส, ...
in exchange for
Trat Province and
Dan Sai, in accordance with the Franco-Siam Treaty signed 23 March 1907.
In 1941, with the help of its ally, Japan, which occupied Thailand at the time, Thailand
recaptured the areas it had ceded to France in 1907. The area in Cambodia had since been subdivided, and was rejoined to Thailand on 23 July 1941 as three provinces: Phra Tabong Province (with new boundaries, corresponding to Cambodian
Battambang Province),
Nakhon Champassak Province, and
Phibunsongkhram Province (corresponding to Cambodian
Siem Reap Province).
Thailand was forced to cede the territory again in 1946, after the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, as a condition for Thailand's admission into the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
.
Administrative divisions
When it was rejoined to Thailand on 23 July 1941, Phra Tabong was divided into seven 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 ...
''):
Three of the former Cambodian districts were renamed to honor the military officers who led the three major divisions of the Thai armed forces in the
French-Thai War
The Franco-Thai War (October 1940 – January 28, 1941, th, กรณีพิพาทอินโดจีน, Krṇī phiphāth xindocīn; french: Guerre franco-thaïlandaise) was fought between Thailand and Vichy France over certain areas o ...
:
* Phromyothi ( th, พรหมโยธี) was renamed for Colonel
Luang Phromyothi (common name Mangkon Phromyothi, later General), who commanded army troops.
* Athuekthewadet ( th, อธึกเทวเดช) was renamed for Air Marshal
Luang Athuekthewadet (common name Bunchiam Komonmit), who commanded airmen.
:* Renamed in 1943 to Ronnaphakat ( th, รณนภากาศ), after Luang Athuekthewadet quit his position.
* Sinthusongkhramchai ( th, สินธุสงครามชัย) was renamed for Rear Admiral
Luang Sinthusongkhramchai (common name Sin Kamonnawin, later Admiral), who commanded the fleet.
On 23 December 1941,
Si Sophon and Sinthu Songkhram Chai were reassigned to
Phibunsongkhram Province.
On 3 November 1942, Mueang Phra Tabong was established as 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 ...
'').
On 17 September 1943, due to its small size, Phromyothi District was downgraded to a 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 ...
'') and renamed Pak Phraek ( th, ปากแพรก). At the same time, four sub-districts from Mongkhon Buri District were combined into a new Phromyothi District.
[''The Royal Gazette'']
Vol. 60 No. 51, Page 3054-55, เรื่องลดถานะและจัดตั้งอำเพอ ไนจังหวัดพระตะบอง.
September 28, 1943. Retrieved on November 24, 2008.
See also
*
Japanese occupation of Cambodia
*
Thailand in World War II
Thailand officially adopted a neutral position during World War II until the five hour-long Japanese invasion of Thailand on 8 December 1941, which led to an armistice and military alliance treaty between Thailand and the Japanese Empire in m ...
References
External links
The Land Boundaries of Indochina: Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
{{coord, 13, 00, N, 103, 00, E, region:SEAsia_type:landmark_source:kolossus-svwiki, display=title
Former provinces of Thailand
th:จังหวัดพระตะบอง