Rayong (, ) is a city (''
thesaban nakhon
Thesaban (, , , Pali: desapāla (protector of region) 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'' ...
'') on the east coast of the
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand (), historically known as the Gulf of Siam (), is a shallow inlet adjacent to the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. ...
and the capital of
Rayong province. It covers
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 ...
s Tha Pradu and Pak Nam and parts of ''tambons'' Choeng Noen and Noen Phra, all within
Mueang Rayong district. As of 2016 the population was 64,256 (est.). The main industry is fishing, and it is also the main producer of Thailand's
fish sauce
Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...
. It is also the center of the chemical and auto industries. In 2012
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
opened an assembly plant in Rayong to expand Ford's presence in the
ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
commonly abbreviated as ASEAN, is a regional grouping of 10 states in Southeast Asia "that aims to promote economic and security cooperation among its ten members." Together, its member states r ...
area, employing some 2,200 people.
Rayong was named an Asia-Pacific City of the Future by the ''Financial Times'' in 2017.
Etymology
''Rayong'' comes from the
Chong word for ''
Pterocarpus macrocarpus, (''commonly known as Burma Padauk, and in Thai “Pradu”) a tree that is common in the region.
History
During the late
Ayutthaya period, when the former capital of Thailand was being destroyed by the invading
Burmese, general Phaya Tak marched his troops to Rayong in order to build up his navy before proceeding on to
Chanthaburi
Chanthaburi (, ) is a town ('' thesaban mueang'') in the east of Thailand, on the banks of the Chanthaburi River. It is the capital of the Chanthaburi Province and the Mueang Chanthaburi District.
The town covers the two ''tambons'' Talat an ...
. He was later anointed "king" in Rayong. Phaya Tak later became
King Taksin
King Taksin the Great (, , ) or the King of Thonburi (, ; ; Teochew dialect, Teochew: Dên Chao; 17 April 1734 – 7 April 1782) was the only King of Thailand, king of the Thonburi Kingdom that ruled Thailand from 1767 to 1782. He had been an ar ...
of the Kingdom of Thonburi, after which he returned to Ayutthaya, defeated the Burmese and set up a new capital in Thonburi.
Yomjinda Road bisects one of Rayong's oldest settlements. The road follows the Rayong River which, in the reign of King Rama VI, was the chief means of transport. The community rehabilitated the old town and today it has become a tourist destination.
Education
*Rayongwittayakhompaknam School
People
* Sutthi Atchasai: (environmentalist fighting pollution at
Map Ta Phut; died in 2014)
*
Narasak Ittiritpong: (racing driver; born 1983)
Gallery
File:Atmosphere within the Festival.jpg, Rayong Storytelling Festival, Yomjinda Road, 31 March 2018
File:Yonjinda Road Festival.jpg, Yomjinda Road, 31 March 2018
File:Rayong Museum.jpg, Rayong Museum, Yomjinda Road
Climate
References
External links
*
The old market on Yomjinda RoadRayongถนนยมจินดา ยมจินดา ธรรมดาซะที่ไหน (Yomjinda Road is not normal)ย่านเมืองเก่าระยอง ถนนยมจินดา Rayong's old town
Populated places in Rayong province
Cities and towns in Thailand
{{Authority control