Mueang Bueng Kan district

Mueang Bueng Kan
เมืองบึงกาฬ
District
District location in Bueng Kan province
District location in Bueng Kan province
Coordinates: 18°21′29″N 103°39′11″E / 18.35806°N 103.65306°E / 18.35806; 103.65306
CountryThailand
ProvinceBueng Kan
SeatBueng Kan
Area
 • Total
791.9 km2 (305.8 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total
89,978
 • Density105.5/km2 (273/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+7 (ICT)
Postal code38000[1]
Geocode3801

Mueang Bueng Kan (Thai: เมืองบึงกาฬ, pronounced [mɯ̄a̯ŋ bɯ̄ŋ kāːn]) is a capital district (amphoe mueang) of Bueng Kan province, northeastern Thailand. It is 759 km north-northeast of Bangkok.

History

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The district was originally named Chai Buri (ไชยบุรี) and was a part of Nakhon Phanom province. In 1917 it was reassigned to Nong Khai,[2] and in 1939 it was renamed Bueng Kan.[3]

On 3 August 2010, a proposal to separate Bueng Kan province from Nong Khai province was approved by Thai government.[4] On 22 March 2011, the "Act Establishing Changwat Bueng Kan, BE 2554 (2011)" was published in the Government Gazette.[5] The district became the capital district (amphoe mueang) of the new province, and therefore renamed to Amphoe Mueang Bueng Kan by section 4 of the act.

On occasions during its history, especially during the 1970s and 1980s,[6][7][8] there have been some conflicts with Lao people on the border. On 23 April 1975, the people's armed forces in Bueng Kan destroyed an enemy stronghold, killing 12 and Thai authorities reportedly admitted that 17 were killed eventually out of about 50.[7] In the early-1980s two patrol boats of the Thai KPL reportedly opened fire and two Lao soldiers were arrested in Bueng Kan.[6][9]

Etymology

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Bueng (TH: บึง) means "swamp" or "marsh". Kan (TH: กาฬ) is Thai for the Hindu goddess Kali; as an adjective it may mean 'black' and as a noun, 'black mark of death'.[10]

Geography

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Neighboring districts are (from the east clockwise) Bung Khla, Seka, Si Wilai, Phon Charoen, So Phisai, and Pak Khat of Bueng Kan Province. To the north across the Mekong River is the province of Bolikhamsai province in Laos.

Transport

Building of the Fifth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge began in 2020. Construction of the bridge at about 4km west of the city centre is expected to take 3 years for a completion in 2023. The project will link the cities of Bueng Kan in Thailand and Bolikhamxai in Laos across the Mekong River. Its cost will be around US$130.3 million. Thailand has agreed to payUS$25.47 million and Laos is covering about US$46.13 million.. The bridge will enable Vietnam to be reached by road from Thailand through Laos over a distance of only 150km. Already existing Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges link Nong Khai province with Vientiane Prefecture (First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge; Mukdahan with Savannakhet (Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge); Nakhon Phanom with Thakhek (Third Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge); and Chiang Rai province with Houayxay (Fourth Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge).[11][12]

Administration

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The district is divided into 12 sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 131 villages (mubans). Bueng Kan is a town municipality (thesaban mueang) which covers tambon Bueng Kan and Wisit. Non Kheng, Ho Kham, Khok Kong, Khai Si and Noeng Loeng are sub-district municipalities each covering the whole same-named sub-district. There are a further five tambon administrative organizations (TAO) for those sub-districts not covered by municipalities.

No. Name Thai Villages Pop.[13]
01. Bueng Kan บึงกาฬ 11 9,999
02. Non Sombun โนนสมบูรณ์ 13 9,903
03. Non Sawang โนนสว่าง 11 6,739
04. Ho Kham หอคำ 14 7,116
05. Nong Loeng หนองเลิง 13 8,547
06. Khok Kong โคกก่อง 09 6,901
07. Na Sawan นาสวรรค์ 09 7,535
08. Khai Si ไคสี 10 5,294
09. Chaiyaphon ชัยพร 13 8,227
10. Wisit วิศิษฐ์ 13 9,557
11. Kham Na Di คำนาดี 08 5,075
12. Pong Pueai โป่งเปือย 07 5,085

Missing numbers are tambon which now form the districts Bung Khla and Si Wilai.

References

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  1. ^ Before split off from Nong Khai used the code 43140
  2. ^ ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง โอนอำเภอไชยบุรีไปขึ้นจังหวัดหนองคาย (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 33 (ก): 320. 1917-03-25. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2012.
  3. ^ พระราชกฤษฎีกาเปลี่ยนนามอำเภอ กิ่งอำเภอ และตำบลบางแห่ง พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๒ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 56 (ก): 354–364. 17 Apr 1939. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 19, 2009.
  4. ^ "Govt denies being superstitious in adding the 77th province". National News Bureau of Thailand, Public Relations Department. 2010-08-04. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20.
  5. ^ พระราชบัญญัติตั้งจังหวัดบึงกาฬ พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๔ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 128 (18 ก): 1–5. 2011-03-22. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 9, 2011.
  6. ^ a b Asian almanac. s.n. 1983. pp. 11, 900. Retrieved 23 Jan 2012.
  7. ^ a b United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service (1975). Daily report: People's Republic of China. Distributed by National Technical Information Service. p. 350. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  8. ^ Peking review. 1973. Retrieved 23 Jan 2012.
  9. ^ Kerdphol, Saiyud (1968). The struggle for Thailand: counter-insurgency, 1965-1985. S. Research Center Co. p. 80. Retrieved 23 Jan 2012.
  10. ^ "Lexitron Thai-English".
  11. ^ "Construction begins on fifth bridge linking Laos, Thailand". The Straits Times. SPH Media Limited, Co. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  12. ^ "Bidding for Fifth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge project scheduled for July". The Star. Xinhua. 28 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Population statistics 2012". Department of Provincial Administration.
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