Pathum Thani province

Pathum Thani is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are : Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Bangkok, and Nonthaburi.
The province is north of Bangkok and is part of the Bangkok metropolitan area. In many places, the boundary between the two provinces is not noticeable as both sides of the boundary are equally urbanized. Pathum Thani town is the administrative seat, but Ban Rangsit, seat of Thanyaburi district, is the largest populated place in the province.
Pathum Thani is an old province, heavily populated by the Mon people, dotted with 186 temples and parks. The Dream World amusement park is here.

Geography

The province lies on the low alluvial flats of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the capital. Many canals cross the province and feed the rice paddies. There is no forest area in the province.

History

The city dates back to a settlement founded by Mon migrating from Mottama in Myanmar around 1650. The original name was Sam Khok. In 1815, King Rama II visited the city and the citizens offered him many lotus flowers, which prompted the king to rename the city Pathum Thani, meaning 'lotus flower town'.

Symbols

The provincial seal shows a pink lotus flower with two rice stalks bending over it, representing the fertility of the province. The provincial tree is the Indian coral tree. The provincial flower is the lotus. The provincial aquatic animal is the marble goby.

Education and technology

Pathum Thani has a very high concentration of higher education institutions, especially ones in the field of science and technology. This, together with a large number of industrial parks and research facilities, make the region the educational and technology hub of the area.
; Academic institutes
; Research bodies
; Industrial parks

Administrative divisions

Provincial government

The province is divided into seven districts. The districts are further subdivided into 60 communes and 529 villages.

Local government

As of 29 September 2020 there are: one Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization - PAO and twenty-nine municipal areas in the province. Rangsit has city status. Further ten have town status and eighteen subdistrict municipalities.

City municipality

Rangsit

85,260

	Town mun.	People
1	Tha Khlong	78,108	6	Bueng Yi Tho	32,708
2	Lam Sam Kaeo	66,003	7	Sanan Rak	31,350
3	Lat Sawai	65,906	8	Bang Khu Wat	28,349
4	Khlong Luang	62,615	9	Pathum Thani	23,633
5	Khu Khot	44,274	10	Bang Kadi	13,987

	Subdistrict mun.	People
1	Thanyaburi	62,990	10	Bang Toei	10,828
2	Bang Phun	25,509	11	Rahaeng	10,445
3	Lak Hok	21,883	12	Khlong Phra Udom	7,995
4	Lam Luk Ka	18,377	13	Sam Khok	6,963
5	Bang Duea	14,756	14	Bang Luang	6,314
6	Bang Khayaeng	14,557	15	Chiang Rak Yai	6,260
7	Ban Mai	14,447	16	Khu Khwang	6,000
8	Ban Klang	12,326	17	Lam Sai	2,657
9	Nong Sam Wang	11,016	18	Nong Suea	2,901

The non-municipal areas are administered by 35 Subdistrict Administrative
Organizations - SAO.

	Municipalities	Communities
	Rangsit	81
	Lam Sam Kaeo	70
	Khlong Luang	54
	Khu Khot	31
	Bueng Yi Tho	37
	Pathum Thani	28
	Bang Kadi	18

Human achievement index 2022

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.

Rank	Classification
1 - 13	"high"
14 - 29	"somewhat high"
30 - 45	"average"
46 - 61	"somewhat low"
62 - 77	"low"