![CandleFestivalUbon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/CandleFestivalUbon.jpg)
Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of
Isan
Northeast Thailand or Isan (Isan/ th, อีสาน, ; lo, ອີສານ; also written as Isaan, Isarn, Issarn, Issan, Esan, or Esarn; from Pali ''īsānna'' or Sanskrit ईशान्य ''īśānya'' "northeast") consists of 20 provin ...
(with Khorat/
Nakhon Ratchasima
Nakhon Ratchasima ( th, นครราชสีมา, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, known as the "big four of Isan". The city is commonly known as Korat (, ), a shortened form of its name. It is the governmental seat of ...
,
Udon Thani
Udon Thani ( th, อุดรธานี, ) is a city in Isan (Northeast Thailand), the capital of Udon Thani Province and with a population of approximately 430,000 in its urban area the 7th largest city in the country. The city municipality ...
, and
Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...
), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the
Mun River
The Mun River ( th, แม่น้ำมูล, , ), sometimes spelled ''Moon River'', is a tributary of the Mekong River. It carries approximately of water per year.
Geography
The river begins in the Khao Yai National Park area of the Sankam ...
in the southeast of the Isan region 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 ...
, and is located away from
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 ...
. It is known as Ubon () for short. The name means "royal lotus city". Ubon is the administrative center of
Ubon Ratchathani Province.
As of 2006, the Ubon Ratchathani urban area had a population of about 200,000. This included 85,000 in Thetsaban Nakhon Ubon Ratchathani (Ubon municipality), 30,000 each in Thetsaban Mueang Warin Chamrap (Warin municipality) and Thetsaban Tambon Kham Yai, 24,000 in Thetsaban Tambon Saen Suk, 10,000 each in Thetsaban Tambon Pathum and Tambon Kham Nam Saep, and 6,000 in Thetsaban Tambon Ubon.
History
![Ubon Ratchathani means the city of Lotus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Ubon_Ratchathani_means_the_city_of_Lotus.jpg)
The city was founded in the late 18th century by Thao Kham Phong, descendant of Phra Wo and Phra Ta, who escaped from King Siribunsan of Vientiane into the Siam Kingdom during the reign of King
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên ...
the Great. Later, Thao Kham Phong was appointed to be "" (Thai: พระประทุมวงศา) and the first ruler of Ubon Ratchathani. In 1792, Ubon Ratchathani became a
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
and was also the administrative center of the
monthon
''Monthon'' ( th, มณฑล) were administrative subdivisions of Thailand at the beginning of the 20th century. The Thai word ''monthon'' is a translation of the word ''mandala'' (', literally "circle"), in its sense of a type of political for ...
Isan. Until 1972, Ubon Ratchathani was the largest province of Thailand by area.
Yasothon Province
Yasothon province ( th, ยโสธร, ), one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat''), lies in central northeastern Thailand also called Isan. The province was established by the revolutionary council of Field Marshal Thanom Kittika ...
was split off from Ubon Ratchathani Province in 1972, followed by
Amnat Charoen Province in 1993. Ubon Ratchathani Province now ranks fifth in area.
The city was attacked by French forces during the 1940
Franco-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 ...
.
Ubon grew extensively during
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 ...
when
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese forces brought in
prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
by rail from
Kanchanaburi
Kanchanaburi ( th, กาญจนบุรี, ) is a town municipality (''thesaban mueang'') in the west of Thailand and part of Kanchanaburi Province. In 2006 it had a population of 31,327. That number was reduced to 25,651 in 2017. The town ...
, the survivors of the
Burma Railway
The Burma Railway, also known as the Siam–Burma Railway, Thai–Burma Railway and similar names, or as the Death Railway, is a railway between Ban Pong, Thailand and Thanbyuzayat, Burma (now called Myanmar). It was built from 1940 to 1943 ...
. One legacy of this is a monument in the city's central Thung Si Meuang Park, erected by
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
prisoners of war in gratitude to the citizens of Ubon Ratchathani for assisting them. During the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
,
United States armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
constructed
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km (303 miles) northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about dire ...
, which is now also a dual-use
commercial airport
An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...
.
Some of the city's religious buildings show the influence of
Lao architecture.
The city has branches of the
National Archives of Thailand
The National Archives of Thailand (NAT) ( th, สำนักหอจดหมายเหตุแห่งชาติ; ) is a Thai government agency under the Fine Arts Department of the Ministry of Culture. It was established in 1916 (B.E.2 ...
and
National Museum of Thailand.
The world-famous meditation teacher
Ajahn Chah
Chah Subhaddo ( th, ชา สุภัทโท, known in English as Ajahn Chah, occasionally with honorific titles ''Luang Por'' and ''Phra'') also known by his honorific name "Phra Bodhiñāṇathera" ( th, พระโพธิญาณเถ ...
, teacher of
Ajahn Sumedho
Luang Por Sumedho or Ajahn Sumedho ( th, อาจารย์สุเมโธ) (born Robert Karr Jackman, July 27, 1934) is one of the senior Western representatives of the Thai forest tradition of Theravada Buddhism. He was abbot of Amaravat ...
, was born in Ubon Ratchathani.
Geography
The elevation is . It is from Bangkok.
Ubon Ratchathani sits on the north bank of the
Mun River
The Mun River ( th, แม่น้ำมูล, , ), sometimes spelled ''Moon River'', is a tributary of the Mekong River. It carries approximately of water per year.
Geography
The river begins in the Khao Yai National Park area of the Sankam ...
. The south bank of the river is occupied by the suburb of
Warin Chamrap (Warin for short), which is effectively incorporated into the city.
Climate
Ubon Ratchathani has a
tropical wet and dry climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Aw''). Winters are dry and very warm. Temperatures rise until April with an average daily maximum of . The
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
season runs from late April to October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm.
Festivals
Ubon Ratchathani is best known for its annual
Candle Festival, held in July to mark the beginning of the
rainy season retreat for
Buddhists
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
, Wan Khao Phansa, also called Buddhist Lent. One day prior, candles are taken to Thung Si Mueang, the central park in the middle of the city; the park is decorated and exhibited in the evening. On the same evening, there are many smaller processions during which candles are carried to practically all Buddhist temples in Thailand. The main procession in Ubon Ratchathani takes place early the next morning.
Sights and attractions
![Ubon Nightmarket](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Ubon_Nightmarket.jpg)
The province is known for its strong Buddhist tradition, particularly the practice of monks dwelling in the forest ( th, พระธุดงค์ ''Phra thudong'', pilgrimage, lit. "hiking monk").
Wat Nong Pah Pong
''Wat Nong Pah Pong'' (Generally shortened to: ''Wat Pah Pong'', Thai: วัดหนองป่าพง) is a Theravada Buddhist monastery in Ubon Ratchathani Province, (Amphoe) Warin Chamrap, Thailand. It was established by the late Ajahn C ...
, for example, is a Buddhist forest monastery in the
Thai Forest Tradition
The Kammaṭṭhāna Forest Tradition of Thailand (from pi, kammaṭṭhāna meaning Kammaṭṭhāna, "place of work"), commonly known in the West as the Thai Forest Tradition, is a Parampara, lineage of Theravada Buddhist monasticism.
The ...
, which was established by Venerable
Ajahn Chah
Chah Subhaddo ( th, ชา สุภัทโท, known in English as Ajahn Chah, occasionally with honorific titles ''Luang Por'' and ''Phra'') also known by his honorific name "Phra Bodhiñāṇathera" ( th, พระโพธิญาณเถ ...
Subhaddo in 1954. Ajahn Chah's style of teaching and personality had a notable ability to reach people of other nationalities. Many foreigners came to learn from, train under, and be ordained by Ajahn Chah.
Wat Pa Nanachat
Wat Pah Nanachat ( th, วัดป่านานาชาติ; ''Bung Wai International Forest Monastery'') is a Thai Theravada Buddhist monastery in northeast Thailand about 15 kilometres from the city of Ubon Rachathani. It was established ...
(International Forest Monastery) was established in 1975. It currently has over fifty monks representing twenty-three nationalities.
Other Buddhist temples in and around the city include ''Wat Thung Si Mueang'' ( th, วัดทุ่งศรีเมือง), in the center of the city, featuring an old wooden library on stilts in a small lake, and ''Wat Nong Bua'' near the
Big C
Big C ( th, บิ๊กซี ซูเปอร์เซ็นเตอร์), is a grocery and general merchandising retailer headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. Big C is as of 2016 Thailand's second-largest hypermarket operator after Lotus's ...
mall, featuring a
chedi modelled on
Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment ( pi, ...
in India.
Education
High schools
There are two major high schools in the central part of Ubon Ratchathani. These two schools are more than 100 years old.
Benchama Maharacha School(Thai: เบ็ญจะมะมหาราช), which offers an English language stream.
Narinukun School which offers an English language stream.
*Ave Maria School.
*
Assumption School
The Assumption School was a Catholic elementary school in Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1899 to 1945. Located at 317 West Erie Street, it was founded by Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, the first American to be made a Catholic saint. Th ...
, next to the ''Tesco-Lotus'' store on Chayangkun Road is a private Catholic school.
Higher education
![UBU Gate](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/UBU_Gate.jpg)
*
Ubon Ratchathani University
Ubon Ratchathani University (UBU) ( Thai, มหาวิทยาลัยอุบลราชธานี) was established as a campus of Khon Kaen University, Thailand, in 1987. It gained independent university status in 1990.
]
History
...
, a rural campus south of the city, but accessible by two
songthaew
A songthaew ( th, สองแถว, , two rows, , ; lo, ສອງແຖວ, ; ms, dua baris) is a passenger vehicle in Thailand and Laos adapted from a pick-up or a larger truck and used as a share taxi or bus.
Overview
The songthaew take ...
routes.
*
Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University
Ubon Ratchathani ( th, อุบลราชธานี, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan (with Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan." The city is on the Mun River in the south ...
, an upgraded technical college just north of the central city.
*Ratchathani University, a private university with a large campus between the km5 post on the Ring Road and the Mun River.
*
Mahachulalongkorn Ratchawitthayalai University is a Bangkok Buddhist university with a small campus on ''Wat Mahawanaram'' in the city, and a new and much larger, but isolated campus in Tambon Krasop, northeast of the Ring Road.
*North Eastern Polytechnic College, with a campus on Chayangkun Road near the Big C Mall.
*Ubon Polytechnic College, with a campus on Chongkonnithan Road west of the city centre.
*Ratchathani Technology Vocational College, north of the Ring Road on Ubon 2 Road.
*
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University or STOU () is the only open university in Thailand.
History
Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University was officially established by royal charter on 5 September 1978 as Thailand's eleventh state university to ...
, while Bangkok-based, operates the small ''Sun Witthaya Phatthana Ubon Ratchathani centre'' next to the National Archives, a block west of the Ring Road.
*Ubon Ratchathani Technical College is near SK Mall.
*Ubon Ratchathani Vocational College, on Phrommarat Road in the city centre.
*Boromarajonani College of nursing Sappasithipasong, a block east of Sapphasit Prasong hospital.
Notable people
*
Parinya Saenkhammuen
Parinya Saenkhammuen ( th, ปริญญา แสนคำหมื่น; born 1 September 1983) is a Thai association football center back. He plays for Thai Premier League club Pattaya United F.C., Pattaya United.
He was voted the best def ...
(born 1983), footballer
*
Mina Tanaka
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for Bayer Leverkusen (on loan from INAC Kobe Leonessa) and the Japan national team.
Club career
Tanaka was born in Thailand on April 28, 1994. On May 3, 2011, she made her debut for Nippon TV Be ...
(born 1994), Japanese footballer
Transportation
Airport
As well as being a commercial facility,
Ubon Ratchathani Airport
Ubon Ratchathani Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานอุบลราชธานี) is an airport in the capital district of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Northeastern Thailand. It currently serves as both a co ...
(IATA: UBP) is also an active
Royal Thai Air Force
"Royal Thai Air Force March"
, mascot =
, anniversaries = 9 April 1937 (Royal Thai Air Force Day)
, equipment =
, equipment_label =
, battles ...
(RTAF) base, the home of 2nd Air Division/21st Wing Air Combat Command. During the Vietnam War, US and Australian squadrons were based here.
Bus terminal
The town's main bus station is in the northwest of the city, on the Ring Road (Highway 231), west of its intersection with Chayangkun Road (Highway 212) on the outskirts of the city and close to Big C store. Nakhonchai Air operates its own private bus terminal just across from the main bus station.
Railway terminal
![Ubon Ratchathani train station 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Ubon_Ratchathani_train_station_01.JPG)
The eastern terminus of the
north-eastern railway line from
Hua Lamphong Railway Station, Bangkok's central station, is in
Warin Chamrap. The rail-head reached Warin in April 1930. The terminal station is called Ubon Ratchathani, but is in Warin Chamrap municipality, which is south of Ubon Ratchathani.
Sister cities
*
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, Italy
*
Kinshasa
Kinshasa (; ; ln, Kinsásá), formerly Léopoldville ( nl, Leopoldstad), is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Once a site of fishing and trading villages situated along the Congo River, Kinshasa is now one o ...
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
*
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France
*
Kigali
Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali has been Rwa ...
, Rwanda
Gallery
File:Watnongbua1.jpg, Chedi, Wat Nong Bua
File:Tungsrimuanglibrary.jpg, Library
A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...
, Thung Si Mueang temple
File:Songthaew1.jpg, Songthaew near Thung Si Mueang
File:Ubon Nightmarket.jpg, Night market
File:Carving candle.jpg, Candle festival
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Isan
Populated places in Ubon Ratchathani province