Krabi province - Definition and Overview

Krabi
กระบี่

Statistics
Capital:	Krabi
Area:	4,708.5 km² Ranked 46th
Inhabitants:	336,210 (2000) Ranked 64th
Pop. density:	71 inh./km² Ranked 62nd
ISO 3166-2:	TH-81
Map

Krabi (Thai กระบี่) is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, at the shore of the Andaman Sea. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Phang Nga, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Trang. The Phuket province to the west is also neighboring, but without any land boundary.

Geography

The province is located at the shore to the Andaman Sea. Most notable are the solitary limestone hills, both on the land and in the sea as islands. Of about 130 islands belonging to the province, Ko Phi Phi Lee is perhaps the most famous, as it was the set of the movie The Beach. The coast of the province was badly damaged by the tsunami on December 26 2004.

Other islands include: Ko Phi Phi Don, part of the Phi Phi Islands.

History

The first human remains in the province date back to 25,000 - 35,000 B.C., but the first recorded history dates back to Kingdom of Ligor in 1200 BC, when the city Ban Thai Samor was part of this kingdom. In modern Thailand the Krabi area was administered from Nakhon Si Thammarat, even after 1872 when king Chulalongkorn gave Krabi the status of a town. In 1875 it finally got full provincial status.

Symbols

The seal of the province shows two crossed ancient swords (Krabi means ancient sword) in front of the mountain range of Phanom Benja and the Indian Ocean. The provincial tree is the Si-siat-nua or Acacia catechu.

Administrative divisions

Krabi is subdivided into 8 districts (Amphoe), which are further divided into 53 communes (tambon) and 374 villages (mubaan).

External links

• Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand (http://www.tourismthailand.org/province.php?id=69&region=south)
• Golden Jubilee Network province guide (http://kanchanapisek.or.th/cgi-bin/kp8/oncc/province.cgi?prov=s1)

Provinces of Thailand

North: Chiang Mai | Chiang Rai | Kamphaeng Phet | Lampang | Lamphun | Mae Hong Son | Nakhon Sawan | Nan | Phayao | Phetchabun | Phichit | Phitsanulok | Phrae | Sukhothai | Tak | Uthai Thani | Uttaradit North-East: Amnat Charoen | Buriram | Chaiyaphum | Kalasin | Khon Kaen | Loei | Maha Sarakham | Mukdahan | Nakhon Phanom | Nakhon Ratchasima | Nongbua Lamphu | Nong Khai | Roi Et | Sakon Nakhon | Sisaket | Surin | Ubon Ratchathani | Udon Thani | Yasothon Central: Ang Thong | Ayutthaya | Bangkok | Chainat | Kanchanaburi | Lopburi | Nakhon Nayok | Nakhon Pathom | Nonthaburi | Pathum Thani | Phetchaburi | Prachuap Khiri Khan | Ratchaburi | Samut Prakan | Samut Sakhon | Samut Songkhram | Saraburi | Sing Buri | Suphanburi South: Chumphon | Krabi | Nakhon Si Thammarat | Narathiwat | Pattani | Phang Nga | Phattalung | Phuket | Ranong | Satun | Songkhla | Surat Thani | Trang | Yala East: Chachoengsao | Chanthaburi | Chonburi | Rayong | Prachinburi | Sa Kaeo | Trat edit  (http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Template:Thailand_provinces)