Nan River
The Nan River (, , ; , ) is a river in Thailand. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Chao Phraya River.
Geography
The Nan River originates in the Luang Prabang Range, Nan Province. The provinces along the river after Nan Prov ...
, is one of the two main tributaries of the
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya River 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.
Etymology
Written evidence of the river being referred to by the ...
Chiang Mai province
Chiang Mai is the largest Provinces of Thailand, province (''changwat'') of Thailand by area. It lies in Northern Thailand#Regional classification of northern Thailand, upper northern Thailand and has a population of 1.78 million people. It ...
. After passing
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
, it flows through the provinces of
Lamphun
Lamphun (; , ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in northern Thailand, capital of Lamphun Province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' Nai Mueang of Mueang Lamphun district. As of 2006 it has a population of 14,030. Lamphun lies north of Bangkok and ...
, Tak and Kamphaeng Phet. At the confluence with the Nan at Nakhon Sawan (also named ''Paknam Pho'' in Thai), it forms the Chao Phraya River.
History
Evidence shows that habitation along the Ping River dates back to 1500 BCE. At that time it controlled trading routes between Yunnan and the Chao Phraya basin.
Mengrai, a ruler and conqueror from
Xishuangbanna
Xishuangbanna, sometimes shortened to Banna, is one of the eight autonomous prefectures of Yunnan Province. The autonomous prefecture for Dai people is in the extreme south of Yunnan province, China, bordering both Myanmar and Laos. Xishuangbanna ...
, turned south to create an alternative "silk road" along the Ping River itself and captured Haripunchai in 1281. Following his successful conquest, he created
Wiang Kum Kam
Wiang Kum Kam (; ) is an historic settlement and archaeological site along the Ping River, which was built by King Mangrai the Great as his capital before he moved it to Chiang Mai. It was flooded and abandoned more than 700 years ago; that move ...
as his capital before abandoning it following nearly a decade of floods, finally moving kilometres north to establish
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, sometimes written as Chiengmai or Chiangmai, is the largest city in northern Thailand, the capital of Chiang Mai province and the List of municipalities in Thailand#Largest cities by urban population, second largest city in Thailan ...
as the capital of the Kingdom of Lanna in 1296.
In the 20th century, the Ping River became a part of
Siam
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 ...
. Chinese and foreign investors flooded the area, all in search of lucrative teak and business transactions. Missionaries came and built Chiang Mai’s first church along the eastern bank of the river, an area set aside for foreign residents by the ruling government who occupied the safe, flood-free western banks. Land along the banks, including its islands, were repurposed, such as a small island in the river that was donated to an American missionary Dr. James W. McKean by Chao Inthawarorot Suriyawong in 1907 to become a leper colony. With no cure for leprosy until the 1980s, lepers found relief in their sanctuary from social criticism, many of whom remain at the McKean Rehabilitation Centre today.
Soi
In Thailand, a ''soi'' ( ) is a side street that branches off of a major street (''thanon'', ). An alley is called a ''trok'' ().
Overview
Sois are usually numbered, and are referred to by the name of the major street and the number, as in "S ...
Rivers
* Tak River (Joins the Ping at )
* Ko River (Joins the Ping at )
* Tun River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Pa River
* Chaem River (Joins the Ping at )
*
Klang River
The Klang River () flows through Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Malaysia and eventually flows into the Straits of Malacca. It is approximately in length and drains a basin of about . The Klang River has 11 major tributaries.
Because the river flo ...
(Joins the Ping at )
* Li River (Joins the Ping at )
* Tun River (2) (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Khan River (2) (Joins the Ping at )
** Wang River (2) (Joins the Khan at )
* Kuang River (Joins the Ping at )
** Tha River (Joins Kuang at )
*** Sapuat River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to inaccurate station data from Royal Irrigation Department)
* Khanat River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* San River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates presently undeterminable due to recently built dam)
* Tip River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates presently undeterminable due to recently built dam)
* Phaem River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Mempin River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Lai River (2) (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Sa River (Joins the Ping at )
* Rim River (Joins the Ping at )
* Nai River (Placement in tributary tree is approximate, geographical coordinates unavailable due to poor satellite resolution)
* Taeng River (Joins the Ping at )
* Ngat River (Joins the Ping at )
Ping Basin
The Ping Basin is one of the largest
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
s of the Chao Phraya Watershed, draining of land.
The greater Ping Basin, i.e. the basin of the entire Ping river system including its tributary the Wang River, drains a total of .
The main dams in the basin are the Bhumibol Dam and the Doi Tao Dam.
National Parks
The Ping itself originates in
Huai Nam Dang National Park
Huai Nam Dang National Park () is a national park in Thailand's Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai Provinces. This mountainous park features scenic mountain viewpoints, waterfalls, and hot springs.
Geography
Huai Nam Dang National Park is direct east ...
and flows through
Mae Ping National Park
Mae Ping National Park ( Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติแม่ปิง, RTGS ''Utthayan Haeng Chat Mae Ping,'' pronounced t-tá-yaān hàeng châāt mâāe bping is the park located on the west of the ping river. With vario ...
.
Gallery
File:Mae ta mann-09.JPG, Bathing elephants in the Taeng River, a Ping tributary
File:Ping River cruise north of Chiang Mai, Thailand.jpg, Ping River north of Chiang Mai
File:Ping River.jpg, Ping River, northern outskirts of Chiang Mai
File:Mae chaem river.jpg, A Ping tributary, the Chaem River flows through the town of Mae Chaem
File:Ping river near Bhumibol dam.jpg, Ping River, upstream from the Bhumibol Dam
File:Bhumibol dam front.jpg, Bhumibol Dam, long, creating a reservoir with a surface area of .
File:Sonnenaufgang am Fluß in Lampang (Thailand).jpg, Wang River, the main tributary of the Ping, flowing through Lampang
File:Chaophrayansawan03.jpg, Confluence of the Ping with the Nan River at Nakhon Sawan