Chachoengsao ( th, ฉะเชิงเทรา, ) is 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 ...

'') in central

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 b ...

, capital of Chachoengsao Province. It is on the banks of the

Bang Pakong River The Bang Pakong ( th, แม่น้ำบางปะกง, , ) is a river in east Thailand. The river originates at the confluence of the Phra Prong River and the Hanuman River near Kabin Buri, Prachinburi Province. It empties after 231 k ...

. It includes ''

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 ...

'' Na Mueang and parts of Ban Mai, Bang Tin Pet, Wang Takhian, and Sothon of Mueang Chachoengsao District. In 2006, it had a population of 60,893. The town was established in 1549 during the reign of King Maha Chakkrapat of Ayutthaya and originally was a centre for military recruitment. During the reign of King Maha Thammaracha, the kingdom was in a weak condition due to being defeated by the Burmese. Phraya Lawaek, the Khmer king, conscripted Thais from several towns including Chachoengsao to be in his work force. Chachoengsao is sometimes referred to as "Paet Riu", a name derived from large fish locally caught in the past. Paet Riu literally means "eight cuts" or slices which refers to the way the fish was cooked and served as a local dish in Chachoengsao. The town is about 50 km east of Bangkok and can be accessed by train.

Etymology

''Chachoengsao'' ( ฉะเชิงเทรา) is believed to be a corruption of

Old Khmer Old Khmer is the oldest attested stage of the Khmer language, an Austroasiatic language historically and presently spoken across Cambodia, Southern Vietnam, and parts of Thailand and Laos. It is recorded in inscriptions dating from the early 7th ...

''cdiṅ'', ''cdiṅṅ'', ''chdiṅ'', '' chdiṅṅ'' (“river"; "stream”), corresponding to Modern Khmer ស្ទឹង (''stɨng'') +

''jrau'', ''jrov'' (“deep"), corresponding to Modern Khmer ជ្រៅ (''crɨw''); literally "deep river"; after the

History

Chachoengsao has a history dating back to the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Most people settled by the Bang Pakong River and along canals. "Luangpho Phuttha Sothon" is a centre of faith of the people of Paet Riu. In the past, Chachoengsao was a fourth class city under the ministry of defence. During the reign of King Rama I, it was attached to the ministry of the interior. Until the reign of King Rama V, who changed the administration system, Chachoengsao became a city. In 1916, its status was changed from a city to a province. "Chachoengsao" is a Khmer word which means 'deep canal'.

Geography

The western part of the province is the low river plain of the

, which is used extensively for farming

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 ...

. To the east is more hilly terrain, with an average elevation of more than 100 meter.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows the main hall of the Sothornvararamvoraviharn Temple. In this hall is the most important

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

image of the province, called ''Luang Por Buddha Sothorn''. The provincial tree is '' Peltophorum dasyrachis''. The tree was assigned to the province by Queen

Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...

on the 50th anniversary of the coronation of King

Rama IX 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 ...

in 2000. The provincial flower is the yellow flamboyant (''Peltophorum pterocarpum''). The provincial slogan is ''The bountiful Bang Pakong River, the sacred Buddha image of Luangpho Sothon, Phraya Si Sunthon the scholar of Thai language, and the Pristine Ang Rue Nai Forest''.

Notable people

* Wichan Sakiya, footballer and

Kor Royal Cup Kor Royal Cup ( th, ถ้วยพระราชทาน ก. ; ถ้วย ก.), known as the Yai Cup ( th, ถ้วยใหญ่) until 1963, was the highest level of club football competition which competed in the tournament in Thailand ...

winner

References

External links

* {{coord, 13, 41, 25, N, 101, 4, 13, E, region:TH_type:city(60,000), display=title Populated places in Chachoengsao province