Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Nakhon Si Thammarat นครศรีธรรมราช
Province
Phra Boromathat Chedi or Phra That Nakhon
Seal
Map of Thailand highlighting Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Coordinates: 8°25′7″N 99°57′49″E / 8.41861°N 99.96361°E / 8.41861; 99.96361Coordinates: 8°25′7″N 99°57′49″E / 8.41861°N 99.96361°E / 8.41861; 99.96361
Country	Thailand
Capital	Nakhon Si Thammarat
Government
• Governor	Chamroen Thipphayaphongthada (since October 2016)
Area
• Total	9,942.5 km2 (3,838.8 sq mi)
Area rank	Ranked 18th
Population (2014)
• Total	1,548,028
• Rank	Ranked 8th
• Density	160/km2 (400/sq mi)
• Density rank	Ranked 26th
Time zone	ICT (UTC+7)
ISO 3166 code	TH-80
Website	http://www.nakhonsithammarat.go.th

Nakhon Si Thammarat (Thai: นครศรีธรรมราช, often shortened to Nakhon), is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, at the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from south clockwise) Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Krabi, and Surat Thani.

The name of the province derives from its Pali–Sanskrit name Nagara Sri Dhammaraja (City of the Sacred Dharma King), which in Thai pronunciation becomes Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The province is on the Gulf of Thailand on the east side of the Malay Peninsula. The terrain is mostly rugged hill forest. The province is home to south Thailand's highest peak, Khao Luang, at 1,835 metres (6,000 ft), now protected in Khao Luang National Park.

The provincial seal shows the Phra Baromathat chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat Voramahavihan, one of the most important historical sites in southern Thailand. According to the city chronicle it was already built in 311, but archaeology dates it to the 13th century. The chedi is surrounded by the animals of the Chinese zodiac in the seal. The twelve animals represent the twelve Naksat cities or city-states which were tributary to the Nakhon Si Thammarat kingdom: the Rat of Saiburi; the Ox of Pattani; the Tiger of Kelantan; the Rabbit of Pahang (actually a city in Pahang which is said to be submerged by a lake now); the Dragon of Kedah; the Snake of Phatthalung; the Horse of Trang; the Goat of Chumphon; the Monkey of Bantaysamer (might be Chaiya, or a town in Krabi Province); the Rooster of Sa-ulau (unidentified city, might be Songkhla, Kanchanadit or Pla Tha); the Dog of Takua Pa and a Pig of Kraburi.