Udon Thani Province

Udon Thani Province (Thai: อุดรธานี, pronounced [ʔù.dɔ̄ːn tʰāː.nīː]) is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (changwat) which lies in upper northeastern Thailand also called Isan. It is bordered by the provinces of Nong Khai to the north, Sakon Nakhon to the east, Kalasin Province to the southeast, Khon Kaen to the south, and Loei and Nong Bua Lamphu to the west. It occupies an area of 11,730 km2.[5] The provincial capital is Udon Thani, the major city in the province.

Udon Thani
Province
อุดรธานี
Huai Luang reservoir
Flag
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Udon
   Udon Thani in    Thailand
Coordinates: 17°25′N 102°45′E
CapitalUdon Thani
Government
 • GovernorNirat Phongsitthawon
(since October 2019)[1]
Area
 • Total11,730 km2 (4,530 sq mi)
Area rankRanked 11th
Population
 (2018)[3]
 • Total1,586,666
 • RankRanked 7th
 • Density135/km2 (350/sq mi)
 • Density rankRanked 30th
Human Achievement Index
 • HAI (2017)0.6062 
"somewhat high"
Ranked 26th
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code
41xxx
Calling code042
ISO 3166 codeTH-41
Vehicle registrationอุดรธานี
Accession into Kingdom of Siam1868
Accession into Kingdom of Thailand1932
Websitewww.udonthani.go.th

Toponymy

Udon Thani is said to mean 'northern city'. Udon is derived from utara in Sanskrit, meaning 'northern direction', as Udon Thani is northeast of Bangkok. Thani means 'city'.

History

Udon Thani first came to historical notice in the Rattanakosin era, when Anuwong of Vientiane staged a rebellion against Thai rule and marched his army to Nakhon Ratchasima in 1826. He captured the city by a ruse, but the garrison he left to hold it unexpectedly met with fierce resistance from the disarmed local forces led by Lady Mo, the wife of Nakhon Ratchasima's governor. Anuwong advanced as far as Saraburi, but was forced to retreat. The Thai army pursued him, and the rival forces met in battle at Nong Bua Lamphu, a small city near today's Udon Thani. After two days of fierce fighting, Anuwong's army was defeated and fled back to Laos.[6]

Bowl; from Ban Chiang site; painted ceramic; height: 32 cm, diameter: 31 cm

Once known as Ban Mak-kaeng, Udon Thani was originally settled as a military base established by Prince Prachak to suppress an uprising in the northeastern city of Lao Puan. Ban Mak-kaeng grew slowly from a small rural town to become what is now the modern city of Udon Thani.

Air America headquarters at Udorn, c. 1967

The province is best known for the prehistoric archaeological site at Ban Chiang and its Bronze Age relics, located in a hamlet about 50 kilometers (31 mi) east of Udon Thani. Udon Thani is one of the more bustling markets for agricultural goods in the relatively dry northeast of Thailand.

Udon Thani received its biggest economic boost in the 1960s when the United States built the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base as a joint-force military base during the Vietnam War. The Mel Gibson film Air America depicts Udon and includes scenes of Udon's air base. Udon Thani was also the largest base in the region for the CIA's anti-communism campaign in Thailand and Laos. The United States turned the base over to the Royal Thai Air Force in 1976, but its presence left three residual effects on Udon. First, a large number of locals had been paid comparatively well and had learned basic conversational English. This made them more marketable to the outside world, and a significant number went to work in Middle East oilfields. Second, the base created long-standing ties with the United States, including a US consulate in Udon (closed in 1995), and a US Veterans of Foreign Wars post. But most importantly, the base and the consulate made the city into a regional hub for the northeast, and this continues today.

In recent years Udon received international attention because of the discovery of large potash deposits.[7] Some anticipate the region would become a major exporter of the mineral. However, granting the necessary approvals has been substantially delayed due to public opposition to mining. Many villagers living near the proposed mine site fear that the mining company's environmental impact assessment (EIA) did not adequately address the problems of salinization of the groundwater and soil, as well as probability of land subsidence. Either of these would seriously threaten the economic stability of local communities that depend on rice farming for income. An existing potash mine, Udon North mine has attracted local opposition.

Black site

The province has been named as the locale of a US CIA "black site" used to interrogate suspected terrorists by the United States.[8] Suspected locations include Ramasun Station, dominated by a large wullenweber array,[9][10] also known as the 7th Radio Research Field Station,[11] in Tambon Non Sung of Mueang Udon Thani District; the 13th Artillery Battalion encampment (Camp Yutthasilpprasit[12]) 13 km distant from Ramasun; Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base; and a Voice of America (VOA) broadcasting station in Ban Dung District.[9]

Administrative divisions

Provincial government
Administrative districts of Udon Thani.
Shopping mall in Mueang Udon Thani district

The province is divided into twenty districts (amphoe). Another five are now in Nong Bua Lamphu Province. The districts are further subdivided into 155 sub-districts (tambon) and 1682 villages (muban):

  1. Mueang Udon Thani
  2. Kut Chap
  3. Nong Wua So
  4. Kumphawapi
  5. Non Sa-at
  6. Nong Han
  7. Thung Fon
  8. Chai Wan
  9. Si That
  10. Wang Sam Mo
  1. Ban Dung
  1. Ban Phue
  2. Nam Som
  3. Phen
  4. Sang Khom
  5. Nong Saeng
  6. Na Yung
  7. Phibun Rak
  8. Ku Kaeo
  9. Prachaksinlapakhom

Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are:[13] one Udon Thani Provincial Administrative Organization - PAO (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 71 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. The capital Udon Thani has city (thesaban nakhon) status.[14] Further Ban Dung, Nam Kham-Nong Sung and Nong Samrong have town (thesaban mueang) status and 67 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 109 Subdistrict Administrative Organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Population and demographics

Udon Thani's geographic position in the north of northeastern Thailand and its proximity to the Laotian capital, Vientiane, has contributed to the province's rapid development as a transport and industrial hub. This has created jobs and attracted migrants from other states as well as from overseas, particularly from Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and China. In recent decades, the influx of illegal immigrants, particularly from Vietnam, has further swelled Udon Thani's population.

Rank Districts Population 2010
1 Mueang Udon Thani 397,049
2 Kumphawapi 125,193
3 Ban Dung 123,227
4 Nong Han 114,982
5 Phen 110,190
6 Ban Phue 107,965
7 Kut Chap 62,301
8 Nong Wua So 61,658
9 Wang Sam Mo 55,730
10 Nam Som 55,622
Rank Districts Population 2010
11 Non Sa-at 48,459
12 Si That 47,888
13 Chai Wan 38,209
14 Thung Fon 31,029
15 Sang Khom 28,441
16 Nong Saeng 25,802
17 Na Yung 25,701
18 Prachaksinlapakhom 24,693
19 Phibun Rak 24,185
20 Ku Kaeo 21,962

Udon Thani had a population of 1,548,107 as of 2010. The province's ethnic composition consists of Lao, Chinese, and other ethnic groups. The most populated cities in Udon Thani as of 2010 are:

Rank City Population 2010
1 Udon Thani 315,329
2 Nong Samrong 27,051
3 Ban Dung 16,003
4 Nong Sung - Nam Kham 10,008

Transportation
Udon Thani International Airport
Udon Thani railway station

Udon Thani is linked to the rest of Thailand by comprehensive air, road and rail connections. Most of the major highways that run through the northeastern Thailand, including Mittraphap Road, serve Udon Thani as well.

Air

Udon Thani International Airport, the province's primary airport, is in the district of Mueang Udon Thani near the border with Nong Khai Province. Between them, several airlines operate over 160 flights per week (as of August 2017) to Bangkok.[15]

Rail

Udon Thani Railway Station is the main railway station in Udon Thani.

Education

Udon Thani has several tertiary education institutions, and is also home to an international school. Most of these academic centers are concentrated in major towns and cities in Udon Thani:

Public universities
Name Acronym Founded Location
Udon Thani Rajabhat University UDRU 1923 Mueang Udon Thani

Private universities and university colleges
Name Acronym Founded Location
Santapol College STU 1998 Mueang Udon Thani

International schools
Name Acronym Founded Location
Udon Thani International School UDIS 2013 Mueang Udon Thani

Healthcare

Notable hospitals in Udon Thani are listed below:

Public Hospitals

  • Udon Thani Hospital
  • Fort Prachaksilapakhom Hospital
  • Royal Thai Air Force Wing 23 Hospital
  • Udon Thani Cancer Center

Private Hospitals

  • Aek Udon International Hospital
  • North Eastern Wattana Hospital
  • Bangkok Hospital (Udon Thani branch)

Human achievement index 2017
Health Education Employment Income
18 39 46 56
Housing Family Transport Participation
28 13 31 37
Province Udon Thani, with an HAI 2017 value of 0.6062 is "somewhat high", occupies place 26 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.[4]

RankClassification
  1 - 15"high"
16 - 30"somewhat high"
31 - 45"average"
45 - 60"somewhat low"
61 - 77"low"

Media

Television

Television in Udon Thani consists of thirteen free-to-air stations, one satellite television network, and two Internet television services. Seven of the thirteen free-to-air stations are broadcast from Laos (with four foreign relay stations). All of Thai stations are broadcast from Bangkok, except for NBT which has two hours of local programming.

Free-to-air
Satellite television
Internet television
  • UDTV
  • Nation Channel (Alternative News Network)

Radio

Radio stations in Udon Thani are available on FM frequencies.

Commercial radio stations available in Udon Thani include Radio One (88.5), New Music (89.0), Cool FM (89.3), SR Radio (89.9), UFM (90.25), Kiss FM (90.75), NN Radio (91.75), Big FM (92.5), Udon FM (97.0), Nice FM (97.25), Live Hits (98.0), WOW FM (98.25), Sayamchai FM (98.5), OK Love (100.0), P Radio (104.4), Mittaphap FM (104.75), Isama Radio (105.25), Wansabai Radio (106.5), and Hit FM (107.0). Commercial radio stations are operated by a few media companies.

Local community radio stations include Rajabhat University Radio (107.7) operated by Udon Thani Rajabhat University (only available in Udon Thani and Phen), EFM (101.25), and Education Radio (96.0) which targets university students.

The seven government radio networks available are Modern Radio (91.5), NBT (93.75), Parliament FM (87.5), Post FM (99.0), Border Patrol FM (100.25), Police FM (105.75). The regions of Udon Thani that border other provinces can also receive two other MCOT radio stations; Khon Kaen FM (Udon Thani-Khon Kaen border) and Nong Khai FM (Udon Thani-Nong Khai border).

Radio stations from Laos available are LNR 1 (103.7), LNR 2 (97.3), and Vientiane City Radio (105.5).

Sister cities
  • Huai Luang reservoir

Notes

Reports (data) from Thai government are "not copyrightable" (Public Domain), Copyright Act 2537 (1994), section 7.

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References
  1. "ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง แต่งตั้งข้าราชการพลเรือนสามัญ" [Announcement of the Prime Minister's Office regarding the appointment of civil servants] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 136 (Special 242 Ngor). 31. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  2. Advancing Human Development through the ASEAN Community, Thailand Human Development Report 2014, table 0:Basic Data (PDF) (Report). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Thailand. pp. 134–135. ISBN 978-974-680-368-7. Retrieved 17 January 2016, Data has been supplied by Land Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, at Wayback Machine.
  3. "รายงานสถิติจำนวนประชากรและบ้านประจำปี พ.ศ.2561" [Statistics, population and house statistics for the year 2018]. Registration Office Department of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior (in Thai). 31 December 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  4. Human achievement index 2017 by National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), pages 1-40, maps 1-9, retrieved 14 September 2019, ISBN 978-974-9769-33-1
  5. "Expanded Administrative Units". GeoHive. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  6. Udon Thani Provincial Office (1985), Udon Thani: A History of a Provincial Administration, Bangkok: Amarin Printing.
  7. "ASIA PACIFIC POTASH CORPORATION LIMITED OVERVIEW OF UDON THANI POTASH PROJECT". Asia Pacific Potash Corporation. Retrieved 12 June 2018.
  8. "Torture and secrecy in Thailand". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 17 Mar 2018. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  9. Nanuam, Wassana (27 August 2018). "Ex-US base 'not secret prison'". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  10. "Ramasun Camp History Museum". Thailand Tourism Directory. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  11. Lelyveld, Joseph (1974-06-26). "U.S. Military Presence Is in Asia as of Old, but Justification for It Is All New". New York Times. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  12. Sarnsamak, Pongphon (2012-05-16). "Keep away from our base, army warns miners". The Nation. Retrieved 27 August 2018.
  13. "Number of local government organizations by province". dla.go.th. Department of Local Administration (DLA). 26 November 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019. 72 Udon Thani: 1 PAO, 1 City mun., 3 Town mun., 67 Subdistrict mun., 109 SAO.
  14. "พระราชกฤษฎีกา จัดตั้งเทศบาลนครอุดรธานี จังหวัดอุดรธานี พ.ศ. ๒๕๓๘" [Royal Decree Establishing Udon Thani city municipality, Udon Thani province, B.E.2538 (1995)] (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 112 (40 Kor): 6–9. 24 September 1995. Retrieved 10 March 2020, effectively on 25 September 1995
  15. "Udon Thani Airport Guide". Netmobius. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
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