Tak ( th, ตาก, ,
Burmese: တာ့ခ် pronounced
ak is one of Thailand's seventy-seven
provinces
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
(''changwat'') and lies in
lower northern Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise)
Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son ( th, แม่ฮ่องสอน, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province. It is in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of the River Pai. As of 2018, the ...
,
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai (, from th, เชียงใหม่ , nod, , เจียงใหม่ ), sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the second largest city in ...
,
Lamphun,
Lampang
Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang ( th, นครลำปาง, ) to differentiate from Lampang province, is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang province and the Mueang Lampang district. Traditional names for L ...
,
Sukhothai,
Kamphaeng Phet
Kamphaeng Phet is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in central Thailand, former capital of the Kamphaeng Phet Province. It covers the complete ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of the Mueang Kamphaeng Phet district. As of 2020, it has a population of 28,817.
...
,
Nakhon Sawan
Nakhon Sawan ( th, นครสวรรค์, ) is a city (''thesaban nakhon'') in Thailand, the name literally means "Heavenly City". The city is the capital of Nakhon Sawan Province, and covers the complete subdistrict (''tambon'') Pak Nam P ...
,
Uthai Thani
Uthai Thani ( th, อุทัยธานี, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in Thailand, capital of the Uthai Thani Province, in the upper central region of the country. It includes the entire ''tambon'' Uthai Mai of Mueang Uthai Thani dist ...
and
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 western edge of the province has a long boundary with
Kayin State
Kayin State ( my, ကရင်ပြည်နယ်, ; kjp, ဖၠုံခါန်ႋကၞင့်, italics=no; ksw, ကညီကီၢ်စဲၣ်, ), also known by the endonyms Kawthoolei and Karen State, is a state of Myanmar. The ...
of Myanmar (
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
).
Geography
The
Bhumibol Dam (named after
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...
, the old name was ''Yanhee Dam'') is in Khao Kaew
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 ...
(sub-district),
Sam Ngao District of Tak and was built from 1958 to 1964.
It stops the
river Ping, one of the two sources of the
Chao Phraya
The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
E ...
River.
The artificial lake created covers an area of 300 km
2 and is the largest in Thailand.
Taksin Maharat National Park,
Namtok Pha Charoen National Park,
Lan Sang National Park
Lan Sang National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติลานสาง) is in the Dawna Range, Tak Province, northern Thailand. Established in 1979, it is an IUCN Category II protected area measuring 65,000 rai ~ . On the Tak-Ma ...
, and
Khun Phawo National Parks are all in the province.
Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary
The Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าทุ่งใหญ่นเรศวร, ) is a protected area in Thailand in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province and the ...
shares half of the lake front with Kanchanaburi and
Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary at the border with Uthai Thani and are
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
s.
On the western side of Tak province the
Tenasserim Hills
The Tenasserim Hills or Tenasserim Range ( my, တနင်္သာရီ တောင်တန်း, ; th, ทิวเขาตะนาวศรี, , ; ms, Banjaran Tanah Seri/Banjaran Tenang Sari) is the geographical name of a r ...
meet the
Dawna Range. One of the few transnational roads and cross-border points into
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
is at
Mae Sot
Mae Sot ( th, แม่สอด, ; my, မဲဆောက်, ; shn, , ) is a city in western Thailand that shares a border with Myanmar to the west. It is notable as a trade hub and for its substantial population of Burmese migrants and refug ...
. Northwest of Mae Sot the main road on the Thai side skirts the border until it turns straight north towards
Mae Hong Son
Mae Hong Son ( th, แม่ฮ่องสอน, ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in north-west Thailand, capital of Mae Hong Son Province. It is in the Shan Hills, near the border with Burma along the banks of the River Pai. As of 2018, the ...
.
Tak province occupies and lies 426 km north of Bangkok. The total forest area is or 72 percent of provincial area.
National parks
There are four national parks and two national parks (preparation), along with two other national parks, make up
region 14 (Tak) of Thailand's protected areas.
*
Namtok Pha Charoen National Park,
[
]
*
Khun Phawo National Park,
[
]
*
Doi Soi Malai National Park,
*
Mae Moei National Park
Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience", based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University.
History ...
,
*
Taksin Maharat National Park,
*
Lan Sang National Park
Lan Sang National Park ( th, อุทยานแห่งชาติลานสาง) is in the Dawna Range, Tak Province, northern Thailand. Established in 1979, it is an IUCN Category II protected area measuring 65,000 rai ~ . On the Tak-Ma ...
,
Wildlife sanctuary
There area a total of five wildlife sanctuaries, four ofwhich are in
region 14 (Tak), but Tham Chao Ram is not in Tak province and Omkoi is in
region 16 (Chiang Mai) of Thailand's protected areas.
*
Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary
Umphang Wildlife Sanctuary ( th, เขตรักษาพันธุ์สัตว์ป่าอุ้มผาง) is a wildlife sanctuary in Thailand site in the Umphang District of Tak Province, northwestern Thailand. It was announced as ...
,
*
Thung Yai Naresuan East Wildlife Sanctuary,
*
Omkoi Wildlife Sanctuary,
*
Mae Tuen Wildlife Sanctuary
Mae is an American rock band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience", based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University.
History ...
,
History
Tak was a historical kingdom built over 2,000 years ago, even before the
Sukhothai period
The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, สุโขทัย, , IAST: , ) was a post-classical Thai kingdom (mandala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. The kingdom was fou ...
. The ancient kingdom had its peak around the 1st century. By the 5th century the capital of this kingdom was moved south to Lavo (present day
Lopburi province). A city named
Ban Tak was established by
Jamadevi
Camadevi (also spelled Jamadevi; IPA: ʃaːmaˈdeːʋiː Pali: Cāmadevī; th, จามเทวี, , Mon: စာမ္မာဒေဝဳ, ; 7th-century – 8th-century) was the first ruler/Queen of Hariphunchai (Pali: Haribhuñjaya), which wa ...
(พระนางจามเทวี), princess of the Lavo kingdom, around 663 CE. It became part of the
Sukhothai kingdom
The Sukhothai Kingdom ( th, สุโขทัย, , IAST: , ) was a post-classical Thai kingdom ( mandala) in Mainland Southeast Asia surrounding the ancient capital city of Sukhothai in present-day north-central Thailand. The kingdom was ...
through battles led by
Ramkhamhaeng the Great
Ram Khamhaeng ( th, รามคำแหง, ) or Pho Khun Ram Khamhaeng Maharat ( th, พ่อขุนรามคำแหงมหาราช, ), also spelled Ramkhamhaeng, was the third king of the Phra Ruang Dynasty, ruling the Sukhoth ...
and formed the main fortress on the western front. The city was moved further west and renamed ''Mueang Rahang'' when the
Ayuthaya kingdom
The Ayutthaya Kingdom (; th, อยุธยา, , IAST: or , ) was a Siamese kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. The Ayutthaya Kingdom is consid ...
was lost to
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
during
King Maha Thammaracha's reign. The city was moved back to the east side of 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 ...
during the early
Bangkok period.
King
Taksin
King Taksin the Great ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้าตากสินมหาราช, , ) or the King of Thonburi ( th, สมเด็จพระเจ้ากรุงธนบุรี, ; ; Teochew: Dên Chao; April 17, ...
was vice-governor of Tak before the Ayutthaya kingdom fell during the war with Burma. As his name was ''Sin'', he became called ''Tak-Sin'' during his time in Tak.
Demographics
About a quarter of the population belongs to one of Thailand's
hill tribes:
Yao,
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 la ...
(
Thai ''Kariang''),
Akha Akha or Ikaw may refer to:
*Akha, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
*Akha, alternate name of Dinan, Mazandaran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
* Akha people
* Akha language
* Akha Bhagat (1615–1674; aka Akha Rahiyadas Soni) a m ...
(Thai ''Akha''),
Lahu (Thai ''Musoe''),
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 ...
(Thai ''Mong''), and
Lisu (Thai ''Lisaw'').
The largest tribe in Tak is Karen.
Refugees
According to the
UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrat ...
data of 2008, nearly 95,000 of Thailand's 121,000 registered
refugee
A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution. s from
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
are housed in several refugee camps in Tak province of which
Mae La camp is the largest with around 45,000
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 la ...
refugees.
Administrative divisions
Provincial government
The province is divided into nine 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 count ...
s''). These are further divided into 63 subdistricts (''
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 ...
s'') and 493 villages (''
muban
Muban ( th, หมู่บ้าน; , ) is the lowest administrative sub-division of Thailand. Usually translated as 'village' and sometimes as 'hamlet', they are a subdivision of a tambon (subdistrict). , there were 74,944 administrative mu ...
s'').
Local government
As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Tak Provincial Administration Organisation (') and 19 municipal (''thesaban'') areas in the province. Mae Sot has city (''
thesaban nakhon
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 ...
'') status. Tak has 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 m ...
'') status. Further 17 subdistrict municipalities (''
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 ...
''). The non-municipal areas are administered by 49 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (''ongkan borihan suan tambon'').
Symbols
The
provincial seal shows King
Naresuan
King Naresuan the Great (( th, สมเด็จพระนเรศวรมหาราช, , ) or Sanphet II ( th, สรรเพชญ์ที่ ๒), ( my , နရဲစွမ် (သို့) ဗြနရာဇ်); 1555/1556 – ...
on the royal elephant.
Sometimes below the elephant a
garuda
Garuda ( Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garu ...
is depicted, as the garuda is the state symbol of Thailand. King Naresuan is shown pouring consecrated water on the ground, a symbolic act to declare independence. This refers to the war of 1584 with
Burma
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
, when Tak was the first border town to be liberated from Burmese control.
The provincial slogan is, "A town of wonderful nature, huge Bhumiphol Dam, King Taksin The Great and beautiful forests".
The
provincial tree is the
Asian Jatoba (''
Xylia xylocarpa
''Xylia xylocarpa'' is a species of tree in the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the family Fabaceae.
Description and properties
This perennial tree is very conspicuous in the flowering season owing to its bright yellow flow ...
'' var. ''kerrii''), and the provincial flower is the Orchid tree (
''Bauhinia'' sp.).
Health
There are two main public hospitals in Tak:
Somdejphrajaotaksin Maharaj Hospital
Somdejphrajaotaksin Maharaj Hospital (, ''lit. King Taksin the Great Hospital'') is the main hospital of Tak Province, Thailand. It is classified under the Ministry of Public Health as a general hospital. It has a CPIRD Medical Education Center wh ...
and Mae Sot Hospital, both operated by the
Ministry of Public Health.
Economy
Agriculture is a major part of the Tak economy. The province of Tak produces
rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...
,
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. The ...
,
vegetable
Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the edible flower, flowers, ...
s,
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
s,
beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus'').
In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
,
tilapia
Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...
, and other foods. Industries in Tak include
granite
Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...
quarrying and
jewelry
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...
. Zinc mining was formerly conducted in
Mae Sot District.
Handicraft
A handicraft, sometimes more precisely expressed as artisanal handicraft or handmade, is any of a wide variety of types of work where useful and decorative objects are made completely by one’s hand or by using only simple, non-automated re ...
s and
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
products are also important for trade. The
Bhumibol Dam in the northern part of Tak is its most popular tourist attraction. Tourism, especially
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide fund ...
, in the southern part is seasonal with popular destinations such as the
Thi Lo Su Waterfall
The Thi Lo Su Waterfall ( th, น้ำตกทีลอซู, ; , also spelt as Thee Lor Sue, The Lor Sue, Thee Lor Sue or Te-law-zue; lit: ''Black Waterfall'') is claimed to be the largest and highest waterfall in Thailand. It stands high an ...
, Thi Lo Le Waterfall,
hiking
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...
and
white water rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
in its various forest reserves. Tak is also known for its
Loi Krathong
Loy Krathong ( th, ลอยกระทง, , ) is a Thai festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and in nearby countries with significant South Western Tai cultures (Laos, Shan, Mon, Tanintharyi, Kelantan, Kedah, and Xishuangbanna) ...
festival where ''krathong sai'' (กระทงสาย) consisting of many krathongs are floated in a long line down the river.
The Loi Krathong festival is held on 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 ...
in
Mueang Tak District on Loi Krathong night.
Transportation
Roads
Tak is a key communication and transportation centre of the north, with three
Asian highway
The Asian Highway Network (AH), also known as the Great Asian Highway, is a cooperative project among countries in Asia and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) to improve their connectivity via hig ...
s passing through the province.
AH1 enters through the Myanmar-Thai border at
Mae Sot District[;] AH2
Asian Highway 2 (AH2) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Denpasar, Indonesia to Merak and Singapore to Khosravi, Iran. The route is connected to M10 of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. The route is as follows:
I ...
passes through the province from north to south. Also
AH16
Asian Highway 16 (AH16) is a road in the Asian Highway Network running from Tak, Thailand to Đông Hà, Vietnam connecting AH1 and AH2 to AH1 after AH1 takes a turn from south to North after crossing Cambodia. The route is as follows:
Tha ...
terminates at Tak.
Air
Tak province is served by
Tak Airport
Tak Airport is an airport serving Tak, a town in the Tak Province of Thailand.
Between November 1990 to March 1994, Thai Airways International served the routes of Tak Airport. There are no airlines in service since then, but the Tak Airport ...
.
Human achievement index 2017
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the
Human achievement index
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...
(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
External links
*
Provincial website
{{Coord, 16, 53, 2, N, 99, 07, 30, E, region:TH_type:adm1st, display=title
Provinces of Thailand