Mueang Yasothon District


Mueang Yasothon is the capital district of the province of Yasothon in northeastern Thailand on the Chi River. Sub-district Nai Mueang determines the city limits of the town of Yasothon.

History

According to the chronicles of Mueang Yasothon, in 1795 Phra Chao Worawongsa, Minister of Vientiane, and several others set off to live with the king of Champassak. Along the way they came to a jungle where spirits dwelt, and seeing that it was a good place, they built a village there next to the grounds of an abandoned wat. They called it Wat Singh Tha, which remains to this day. The village they called Ban Singh Tha. Singh is a mythical lion; tha means 'pose'. A marker for a chedi erected by Wat Singh Tha says that, during the Thonburi Period, grandson Kham Su called the settlement Ban Singh Thong. The wat, which had been deserted with dense jungle blocking the way to the river landing, was re-built and renamed after the new village. The change from thong to tha was influenced by two factors: tha means 'port' or 'landing' and also means 'pose' with many connotations. Thus the change in name to Singh Tha means 'port lion' and also 'imposing lion' such as those posed on the Lion Gate, and on pedestals on the temple grounds.
In 1814, King Rama II renamed Ban Singh Tha to Yasothon and raised its status to mueang.
Yasothon was the national winner of the World Wildlife Fund's 2018 "One Planet City Challenge". The municipality was lauded for its efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, by means of recycling efforts and transport initiatives.

Geography

Neighboring districts are Sai Mun, Kut Chum, Pa Tio and Kham Khuean Kaeo of Yasothon Province; Phanom Phrai and Selaphum of Roi Et Province.

Administration

The district is divided into 18 sub-districts, which are further subdivided into 190 villages. The town Yasothon covers the entire tambon Nai Mueang. There are a further 17 tambon administrative organizations.

Education

Private schools in Mueang Yasothon:
The secondary schools in Mueang Yasothon are:
College in Mueang Yasothon
Camp Bodindecha is west of the city proper in Ban Doet Tambon Doet, on Route 23. The camp has been home to the Royal Thai Army 16th Infantry Regiment since 23 December 1985.