Chachoengsao (, ) is a town (''
thesaban mueang'') in central
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
, capital of
Chachoengsao Province. It is on the banks of the
Bang Pakong River. It includes ''
tambon
''Tambon'' (, ) 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 ''khwaeng'' of Bangkok, whi ...
'' 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 ''cdiṅ'', ''cdiṅṅ'', ''chdiṅ'', ''
chdiṅṅ'' (“river"; "stream”), corresponding to Modern
Khmer ស្ទឹង (''stɨng'') +
Old Khmer ''jrau'', ''jrov'' (“deep"), corresponding to Modern
Khmer ជ្រៅ (''crɨw''); literally "deep river"; after the
Bang Pakong River.
History
Chachoengsao has a history dating back to the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat in the
Ayutthaya Kingdom
The Ayutthaya Kingdom or the Empire of Ayutthaya was a Thai people, Thai kingdom that existed in Southeast Asia from 1351 to 1767, centered around the city of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (city), Ayutthaya, in Siam, or present-day Thailand. Europe ...
. 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
Bang Pakong River, which is used extensively for farming
rice
Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...
. 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 legends, he was ...
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 on the 50th anniversary of the coronation of King
Rama IX 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 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