Province of Nan

Geography

The province is located in the valley far away from the Nan river, surrounded by covered mountains of forests. More the high mountain, Phu Khe rises with 2079 meters, in the North-East close to the border with Laos. Only 25% of the ground are arable (and only half of this proportion is actively cultivated). Half of the forests of the province are tropical forests of mountain. The major part of the population of the province lives in the valley Nan. The river system of the province include Nan, Wa, Samun, Haeng, Lae and Pua. Length of 627 km, the Nan river is the third plus water long course of Thailand after Mekong and Mun.

History

During centuries, Nan was an independent kingdom but, because of its distance, it had little to do with the other Thai kingdoms. Its original name was Nantaburi or Woranakorn. The first kingdom around the town of Pua (also known under the name of Varanagara or Wara Nakhon ) was created at the end of the 13th century when Praya Pukha Fung , brother of the founder of Vientiane, establishes its court there. The dynasty Phukha gave 64 sovereigns to the kingdom. Although at its origin Nan was related to the founders of Vientiane, it came from there to bind to the kingdom of Sukhothai which exerted a strong political influence there and nun because the kingdom was easier to reach south than is or of the west. With the 14th century, the capital was moved towards its current localization of Nan. With the 15th century, when the power of Sukhothai declined, it became vassal kingdom of Lannathai. In 1443, the king King Kaen Thao of Nan developed a plot to capture the city close to Phayao while requiring of the king Tilokaraj of Chiang May to help it to fight troops of the supposed Vietnam to attack Nan, although such a threat was non-existent. Kaen Thao managed to kill king de Phayao. However the troops of Tilokaraj attacked Nan, and captured it in 1449. When the Lannathai was under the Burmese domination , Nan tried to be released with many recoveries without success, which led to the direct Burmese administration of Nan in 1714. In 1788 the Burmese leaders could finally be driven out. However Nan had then accepted the new leaders of the Siam. In 1893 after the crisis of Paknam, the Siam had to concede most of the east of the province of Nan with the French Indo-China. However Nan preserved a certain degree of independence with respect to the leaders of the Siam and it was necessary to await 1931 so that Nan is fully integrated into the kingdom of the Siam. Before the beginning of the year 1980, gangsters as well as the guerilla of the Popular Army of Release of Thailand (APLT), constituted a serious problem in the province, destroying of night regularly road works. With the assistance of the army and a more stable political system, the situation of the province improved to a significant degree but it remained very rural and relative with the variation.

Economy

The majority of the inhabitants are farmers who cultivate sticky rice, beans, corn, tobacco and vegetables in the fertile plains of the Nan river. The province is also famous for two fruits: the fai jiin (a Chinese version of the Thai fruit, the màfai ) and the sôm software firm thawng (oranges with gilded skin). These last are the products of the most famous export of Nan. Nan is also known for its phrik yài hâeng (long and strong peppers) similar to those which one finds in the province of Sichuan in China.

Populations

Nan is a little populated province. The majority of the inhabitants of the province belong to the Thais of North or Muang, also called Yuan. They speak Thai about North or muang, one of the four varieties of Thai spoken in Thailand. The ethnicities differ here significantly from those of other provinces of North. The Mountain dwellers account for 10,5% of the population of the province. Apart from the valley Nan, the prevalent tribes of Mountain dwellers are the Mien (around 8000), with a small number of Hmong. During the war of Vietnam, much of Hmong and Mien of Nan (like Chiang Spoke and of Phetchabun) were recruited to fight with the Communists of the Pathet Lao, which promised to establish king Hmong-Mien following a victory of Pathet Lao to the Laos. Some of these alleged “Meos Rouges” were even involved in the Vietnam of north. However, Nan is single because of presence of three groups less known and seldom seen apart from this province: Thai Lu, Htin and Khamu.

Symbols

Administrative divisions

The province is subdivided of 14 districts ( Amphoe ) and a minor district ( King Amphoe ). Those themselves are subdivided in 99 communes ( Tambon ) and 848 villages ( Muban ). ¹ ¹ the jump in classification comes owing to the fact that Chaloem Phra Kiat was created in 1996 and accepted the statute of Amphoe directly, whereas Phu Phiang was created like a minor district in 1997.

External bonds

Personal site very detailed on Nan and its province, with many photographs
Province page from the Tourist Authority off Thailand
Golden Jubilee Network province off guides
provincial Nan map, coat arms and postal stamp
Page geocities on the province of Nan (in English)
Nan Youth Development Association
Carte of Nan
Photos of Hmongs of the province of Nan

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