Lampang (Thai: ลำปาง, pronounced [lām.pāːŋ]; Northern Thai: ᩃᩣᩴᨻᩣ᩠ᨦ) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (changwat), lies in upper northern Thailand. The old name of Lampang was Khelang Nakhon.

Lampang province
"Lampang" in Thai language (top) and Northern Thai with Tai Tham script (bottom)
Thai name
Thai	ลำปาง
RTGS	Lampang
Northern Thai name
Northern Thai	ᩃᩣᩴᨻᩣ᩠ᨦ (Lam phuang)

Lampang ลำปาง ᩃᩣᩴᨻᩣ᩠ᨦ
Province
จังหวัดลำปาง · ᨧᩢ᩠ᨦᩉ᩠ᩅᩢᨯᩃᩣᩴᨻᩣ᩠ᨦ
From left to right, top to bottom : Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, Chae Son National Park, Wat Sri Chum, Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao, Wang River, The Thai Elephant Conservation Center
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  Khelang Nakhon Kukuta Nakhon (white rooster city) Mueang Rot Ma (horse carriage city)
Map of Thailand highlighting Lampang province
Country	Thailand
Capital	Lampang
Government
• Governor	Sithichai Jindaluang (since October 2021)
Area [1]
• Total	12,488 km2 (4,822 sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 9th
Population  (2019)[2]
• Total	738,316
• Rank	Ranked 33rd
• Density	59/km2 (150/sq mi)
• Rank	Ranked 70th
Human Achievement Index [3]
• HAI (2017)	0.6450 "high" Ranked 9th
Time zone	UTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code	52xxx
Calling code	054
ISO 3166 code	TH-52
Vehicle registration	ลำปาง
Website	www.lampang.go.th

This article contains Lanna text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Tai Tham script.

Geography

Lampang is in the broad river valley of the Wang River, surrounded by mountains. In Mae Mo district lignite is found and mined in open pits. To the north of the province is the 1,697-metre (5,568 ft) high Doi Luang.

Within the province are Chae Son and Doi Khun Tan National Parks in the Khun Tan Range, as well as Tham Pha Thai, Doi Luang National Park, and the Huai Tak Teak Biosphere Reserve in the Phi Pan Nam Range.[4] The total forest area is 8,747 km² (3,377 sq mi) or 70 percent of provincial area.[1]

History

Lampang is an ancient city of more than 1,300 years. It is mentioned in various legends in 11 different names; namely Kukkudnakhon, Lampakappanakhon, Srinakhonchai, Nakhon Vieng Kok Wua, Vieng Din, Kelang Nakhon, Nakhon Lampang Kam Kelang, Arlampang, Muang Lakorn, and Muang Nakhon Lampang.

Lampang was built in 680. According in Yonok historical record, a hermit named Suphrom Ruesi built a town for Prince Anantayot, son of Queen Jamadevi of Haripunchai’s Lamphun. The town was first named Kelang Nakhon and then changed into Nakhon Lampang.

In Yonok Chiang Saen period, Nakhon Lampang was governed by Khmer. It was later colonized by Burma and Chiang Mai in the period of King Thonburi about 250 years ago. Later, Lord Thipchang of Lampang has fought for Lamapng independence and established himself as Phraya Sulavalue Chaisongkram, King of Lampang in 1732.

In 1764 Prince Kaewfa, son of Lord Thipchang governed Lampang and was the first ancestor of Na Lampang, Na Lamphun and Na Chiang Mai family. Prince Boonyawat Vongmanit was the last ruler of Lampang.

Lampang was announced as a province in Thailand in 1892 in the reign of King Rama V.

Transport

The city is an important highway hub, with a four lane highway link to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, as well as a major highway to Phrae and the eastern Lanna provinces. Lampang is roughly a 1.5 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai. Lampang is a stop for the Chiang Mai-bound train, approximately 10 hours from Bangkok.

Lampang Airport is served by Bangkok Airways (three flights daily to Suvarnabhumi Airport) and Nok air (four flights daily to Don Mueang) (Oct 2015).

Health

The main hospital of Lampang is Lampang Hospital, operated by the Ministry of Public Health.

Tourism

Lampang province is not visited by many tourists, only about 900,000 per year, most of them passing through. In early 2019, the provincial governor rolled out a program called "Lampang: Dream Destination" to raise the number of visitors to two million within two years.[5]

Economy

Lampang is known for the production of ceramic goods and its mining operations. A great deal of ball clay, china stone, and lignite are extracted from the surrounding mountains. There are more than 200 ceramic factories in and around Mueang Lampang District. Most are small- to medium-sized operations producing novelties (plant pots, dolls), tableware, and building materials (tiles, railings). The largest coal fired power plant in Southeast Asia[6] is in Mae Mo District near the lignite mining area. The plant uses lignite as fuel. The largest concrete plant is also north of Mueang Lampang. This is also powered by lignite. Limestone is another abundant rock mined in Lampang. Agriculturally, the province produces rice and pineapples.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows a white rooster inside the entrance to the Phra That Lampang Luang Temple. According to local legend, Buddha visited the province. The god Indra worried that the people would not wake up by themselves to show respect to Buddha, and therefore woke them by transforming himself into a white rooster.

The provincial flower is the Heliconia (Heliconia sp.), and the provincial tree is the Indian Elm (Holoptelea integrifolia). According to the legend, this tree was planted in the temple during Buddha's visit.

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into 13 districts (amphoes). These are further divided into 100 subdistricts (tambons) and 855 villages (mubans).

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are:[7] one Lampang Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 42 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Lampang has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Khelang Nakhon, Lom Raet and Phichai have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 38 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 60 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).[2]

Human achievement index 2017

Health	Education	Employment	Income
69	13	35	48
Housing	Family	Transport	Participation
33	27	22	4
Province Lampang, with an HAI 2017 value of 0.6450 is "high", occupies place 9 in the ranking.

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.[3]

Map with provinces and HAI 2017 rankings

Gallery

• 
  Wat Phra That Lampang Luang
• 
  Singha Lanna
• 
  Wang River
• 
  Phra That Lampang Luang
• 
  Burmese-style Wat Srichum
• 
  Chae Son National Park
• 
  Hot springs at Chae Son National Park

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lampang Province.

• Lampang travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Province page from the Tourist Authority of Thailand
• Golden Jubilee Network province guide
• Lampang provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp

На других языках

[de] Lampang (Provinz)