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Ang Thong Province

Ang Thong
อ่างทอง
Province
Official seal of Ang Thong
Seal
Map of Thailand highlighting Ang Thong Province
Map of Thailand highlighting Ang Thong Province
Country Thailand
Capital Ang Thong town
Government
 • Governor Wirawut Puttraserani (since October 2015)
Area
 • Total 968.4 km2 (373.9 sq mi)
Area rank Ranked 71st
Population (2014)
 • Total 283,568
 • Rank Ranked 67th
 • Density 290/km2 (760/sq mi)
 • Density rank Ranked 12th
Time zone ICT (UTC+7)
ISO 3166 code TH-15

Ang Thong (Thai: ) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. The name "Ang Thong" means "gold basin", thought to have derived from the basin-like geography of the area, and the golden color of the rice grown in the region.

Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Sing Buri, Lopburi, Ayutthaya, and Suphanburi.

Ang Thong native handicrafts include moulded court dolls, firebrick, and wickerwork.

There are more than 200 temples in Ang Thong.

Ang Thong occupies a low river plain, created by the Chao Phraya and the Noi Rivers. It has neither mountains nor forests, but consists of mostly agricultural land. The two rivers, together with many canals (khlongs), provide enough water for rice farming.

Ang Thong was historically known as Wiset Chai Chan, on the Noi River. It was an important border town of the Ayutthaya Kingdom during the wars with Burma, as the Noi River served as a natural obstacle for advancing troops.

During the reign of King Taksin after the fall of Ayutthaya, the main city of the province was moved to the Chao Phraya River, and named Ang Thong, as the Noi River had become silted and too shallow for transportation.

Ang Thong is the provenance of Li Ke, the native folk song, and the hometown of Nai Dok and Nai Thongkaeo, two heroes of the Bang Rachan Battle.

The provincial seal shows some golden ears of rice in a bowl of water. This symbolizes the fertility of province as one of the major producers of rice. The provincial tree is the Gaub Tree (Diospyros malabarica).

The province is divided into seven districts (amphoe). The districts are further subdivided into 81 communes (tambon) and 513 villages (muban).


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