Phitsanulok Province


Phitsanulok, one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces, lies in lower northern Thailand. It borders Sukhothai and Uttaradit on the north, Loei and Phetchabun to the east, and Phichit and Kamphaeng Phet to the south. In the northeast it borders Laos.
Its name means 'Vishnu's heaven'. The first element, Phitsanu, is a cognate of "Vishnu", a Hindu god. The second element lok means 'globe' or 'world'.
The capital is Phitsanulok.

History

The lands of present-day Phitsanulok Province were inhabited since the Stone Age, although the Neolithic inhabitants of the region are not likely to have been the ancestors of the modern Thai people who reside there today. The earliest historical records relating to the area indicate that at a time prior to or during the 11th century, the present-day city of Phitsanulok was a small strategic Khmer outpost known as Song Khwae. During the next century, in 1188, Nakhon Thai, near the center of the present Phitsanulok Province, was established as the capital city of the Singhanavati Kingdom, an early city-state of Thailand. Later, during Thailand's Sukhothai Period, the city of Phitsanulok emerged as a major city in the east of the Sukhothai Kingdom, and the great temples of Wat Chula Manee, Wat Aranyik and Wat Chedi Yod Thong were constructed. In 1357, the renowned Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat was erected, and the Ayutthaya Period witnessed the construction of several of the province's other chief temples. Phitsanulok served for 25 years as the capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. In 1555, King Naresuan the Great was born in Phitsanulok. Naresuan played a significant role in the history of Thailand, as he expanded the kingdom to its greatest territorial extent by conquering sizable portions of modern-day Burma and Cambodia. In recent times, Phitsanulok Province has become an important agricultural center, part of the "bread basket of Thailand", providing rice and other crops to consumers in Thailand and throughout the world. Extensive agricultural development over the last hundred years or so has spawned a modern infrastructure in the urban areas of the province, bringing with it an array of modern roads, universities, hospitals and other conveniences. Over the years, the Nan River and its tributaries have played a substantial role in the history and development of the region by providing a route for transportation, fertile soil for agriculture, and water for irrigation. The river waters have also served as a route for enemy invaders, and have been the source of periodic widespread flooding throughout the province.

Symbols

As of 2010 the population of Phitsanulok was 95 percent Buddhist with some 500 temples in the province.
A few of the some 100 temples in Mueang Phitsanulok district are:
The other eight districts have the following numbers of temples:
Phitsanulok province is divided into nine districts. These are further subdivided into 93 subdistricts and 1052 villages.
As of 26 November 2019 for local government there are: one Phitsanulok Provincial Administrative Organisation - PPOA and 26 municipal areas in the province. Phitsanulok has city status, Aranyik has town status and 24 subdistrict municipalities. The non-municipal areas are administered by 76 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO.
Districts, Phitsanulok Province#NameThaiPopulationTambonMuban
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1Mueang Phitsanulokเมืองพิษณุโลก291,64220177
2Nakhon Thaiนครไทย87,64711145
3Chat trakanชาติตระการ41,329672
4Bang Rakamบางระกำ95,02811142
5Bang Krathumบางกระทุ่ม47,551987
6Phrom Phiramพรหมพิราม86,68212123
7Wat Botวัดโบสถ์37,777661
8Wang Thongวังทอง121,19011168
9Noen Maprangเนินมะปราง58,045777

Transport

Air

Phitsanulok is served by Phitsanulok Airport.

Rail

Phitsanulok's main station is Phitsanulok Railway Station.

Health

Phitsanulok's main hospital is Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital, operated by the Ministry of Public Health.

Human achievement index 2017

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index, a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board has taken over this task since 2017.