Phaya Mengrai District

Phaya Mengrai (Thai: พญาเม็งราย; IPA: [pʰá.jāː mēŋ.rāːj]) is a district (amphoe) of Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand.

Phaya Mengrai

พญาเม็งราย
District
Chedi, Phaya Mengrai
District location in Chiang Rai Province
Coordinates: 19°50′56″N 100°9′13″E
CountryThailand
ProvinceChiang Rai
SeatMengrai
Area
 • Total620.0 km2 (239.4 sq mi)
Population
 (2005)
 • Total41,972
 • Density67.7/km2 (175/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code57290
Geocode5712

Geography

Neighboring districts are (from the west clockwise): Wiang Chai, Wiang Chiang Rung, Chiang Khong, Khun Tan and Thoeng of Chiang Rai Province.

History

The minor district (king amphoe) was created on 5 May 1981, when the three tambons Mae Pao, Mae Tam, and Mai Ya were split off from Thoeng District.[1] It was upgraded to a full district on 12 August 1987.[2]

Etymology

The district is named after King Mengrai, the founder of the Lanna kingdom of northern Thailand.

Economy

Tambon Phay Mengrai is the site of a 2,700 rai Cavindish banana plantation owned and operated by the Chinese firm, Hongta International, a major local employer. The Cavendish banana is controversial as its cultivation requires the intensive use of chemical pesticides to yield harvests for export.[3] The Mekong-Lanna nature conservation network has accused the Chinese plantation of heavy use of pesticides and excessive water takings from Mae Ing Creek. These charges are as yet unsubstantiated (2016).[4]

Administration

The district is divided into five sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 69 villages (mubans). Phaya Mengrai is a township (thesaban tambon) which covers parts of tambons Mengrai and Mae Pao. There are a further five tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

No. Name Thai name Villages Pop.
1.Mae Paoแม่เปา1911,302
2.Mae Tamแม่ต๋ำ115,026
3.Mai Yaไม้ยา1711,069
4.Mengraiเม็งราย149,899
5.Tat Khwanตาดควัน84,676
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gollark: Hmm, Wikipedia says steel.
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gollark: Paperclips themselves or paperclip maximizers?

References
  1. ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง แบ่งท้องที่อำเภอเทิง จังหวัดเชียงราย ตั้งเป็นกิ่งอำเภอพญาเม็งราย (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 98 (68 ง): 1283. 5 May 1981.
  2. พระราชกฤษฎีกาจัดตั้งอำเภอพญาเม็งราย อำเภอพบพระ อำเภอทับคล้อ อำเภอบ้านโคก และอำเภอโพธิ์ไทร พ.ศ. ๒๕๓๐ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 104 (156 ก special): 26–28. 12 August 1987.
  3. Kongrut, Anchalee (15 August 2016). "The fear of becoming a banana state". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  4. "Cultivating risky business" (Editorial). Bangkok Post. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.


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