Prachinburi province

History

Located in Si Mahosot district, their existed an ancient Buddhist site at the Sra Morakot Archeological Site. The site contains an Arogyasala dating to the reign of Jayavarman VII of the Khmer Empire in the late 1100s, although the Arogyasala was possibly constructed on an older Dvaravati shrine. Not much of the Arogyasala survives, but it most likely was designed in the standard layout. In the temple of Wat Morakot at the site contains the largest and oldest carvings of The Buddha's footprints in Thailand. Created between the 600s and 800s, the footprints were made from natural laterite and hold significance to Buddhists. The site also contains two ancient reserviors, with Sra Boa being one of them.

Geography

The province is divided into two major parts, the low river valley of the Bang Pakong River, and the higher lands with plateaus and mountains of the Sankamphaeng Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains. The total forest area is 1,436 km² or 28.6 percent of provincial area.

National parks

There are two national parks, along with two other national parks, make up region 1 (Prachinburi) of Thailand's protected areas. (Visitors in fiscal year 2024)

Symbols

The provincial seal shows the Bodhi tree. It symbolizes the first Bodhi tree planted about 2,000 years ago at Wat Si Maha Phot. The provincial colors are red and yellow. Red symbolises the land and yellow, Buddhism.

The provincial tree is the Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa). The provincial flower is the cork tree (Millingtonia hortensis). The cyprinid fish Cyclocheilichthys enoplos is the provincial fish.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into seven districts (amphoes), which are further divided into 65 subdistricts (tambons) and 658 villages (mubans).

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Prachinburi Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 13 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Prachinburi has town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 12 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 56 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Transport

Roads

The main road through Prachinburi is Route 319. While Route 319 does not lead directly to other major centers, along with Route 33 it leads to Nakhon Nayok, and along with Routes 314 and 304 it leads to Bangkok.

Rail

Prachinburi is served by the State Railway of Thailand's Eastern Line. Prachin Buri Railway Station, is the main railway station located 122 km from Bangkok. Five trains trains per day in either direction stop at this station.

Economy

Economic output

In 2022, Prachinburi province had an economic output of 291.747 billion baht (US$7.678 billion). This amounts to per capita gross provincial product (GPP) of 445,100 baht (US$11,700). In 2024 the total labourforce was 392,051 of which 387,920 persons were employed in economic activity. In agriculture and forestry 60,166 persons (15.5%) were employed and in the non-agricultural sector 327,754 persons (84.5%).

Tambon Hua Wa in Si Maha Phot District is the site of Rojana Industrial Park. Among other tenants of the park, Honda Automobile (Thailand) has established a 17.2 billion baht plant there to manufacture sub-compact vehicles. The plant, opened in March 2016, had an initial production capacity of 60,000 vehicles per year. Honda produces hybrid electric vehicles and batteries for electric vehicles, at its factories in Prachinburi and Ayutthaya. Honda's Prachinburi factory has an annual capacity of 120,000 units.

Health

The main hospital of Prachinburi province is Chaophraya Abhaibhubejhr Hospital.

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.

References

References

1. "Table 2 Forest area Separate province year 2019". Royal Forest Department.
2. "Official statistics registration systems". Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA).
3. (July 2019). "''Gross Regional and Provincial Product, 2019 Edition''". Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
4. "ข้อมูลสถิติดัชนีความก้าวหน้าของคน ปี 2565 (PDF)".
5. "Prasat Sra Morakot - Beyond Angkor".
6. "Sa Morakot Archaeological Site".
7. "Sra Boa - Beyond Angkor".
8. (2019). "ตารางที่ 2 พี้นที่ป่าไม้ แยกรายจังหวัด พ.ศ.2562".
9. "สถิตินักท่องเที่ยวที่เข้าไปอุทยนห่งชาติ ปีงบประมาณ พ.ศ. 2567".
10. (26 November 2019). "Number of local government organizations by province". Department of Local Administration (DLA).
11. "Prachinburi Provincial Statistical Report 2567-2024". National Statistical Office (NSO).
12. "Prachinburi Provincial Statistical Report 2567-2024". National Statistical Office (NSO).
13. "Our Location".
14. (26 July 2018). "BoI gives blessing to B30bn in plans". Bangkok Post.