Pathum Thani is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise): Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Bangkok, and Nonthaburi. The province is north of Bangkok and is part of the Bangkok metropolitan area. In many places, the boundary between the two provinces is not noticeable as both sides of the boundary are equally urbanized. Pathum Thani town is the administrative seat, but Ban Rangsit, seat of Thanyaburi district, is the largest populated place in the province. Pathum Thani is an old province, heavily populated by the Mon people, dotted with 186 temples and parks. The Dream World amusement park is here.

Geography

The province lies on the low alluvial flats of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the capital. Many canals (khlongs) cross the province and feed the rice paddies. There is no forest area in the province.

History

The city dates back to a settlement founded by Mon migrating from Mottama in Myanmar around 1650. The original name was Sam Khok. In 1815, King Rama II visited the city and the citizens offered him many lotus flowers, which prompted the king to rename the city Pathum Thani, meaning 'lotus flower town'.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows a pink lotus flower with two rice stalks bending over it, representing the fertility of the province. The provincial tree is the Indian coral tree (Erythrina variegata). The provincial flower is the lotus (Nymphaea lotus). The provincial aquatic animal is the marble goby (Oxyeleotris marmorata).

Education and technology

Pathum Thani has a very high concentration of higher education institutions, especially ones in the field of science and technology. This, together with a large number of industrial parks and research facilities (including those in Thailand Science Park), make the region the educational and technology hub of the area.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into seven districts (amphoes). The districts are further subdivided into 60 communes (tambons) and 529 villages (mubans).

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Local government

As of 29 September 2020 there are: one Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization - PAO (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and twenty-nine municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Rangsit has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Further ten have town (thesaban mueang) status and eighteen subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 35 Subdistrict Administrative Organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Human achievement index 2022

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.