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IN4 About Phang-Nga |
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Phang-Nga |
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Phang-Nga is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand, on the shore to the Andaman Sea. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Ranong, Surat Thani and Krabi. To the south is the Phuket province, but without land boundary to Phang Nga. |
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Geography |
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The province is located on the west side of the Malay Peninsula, and includes many islands of the Phang Nga Bay. The most famous one is the so-called James Bond Island, a needle formed limestone rock in the sea, which featured in the 1974 movie The Man with the Golden Gun. The Ao Phang-Nga (Phang-Nga Bay) National Park was established in 1981 to protect the many fascinating islands. The Similan Islands, one of Thailand's main diving destinations, are also part of Phang Nga province. It is located 788 kilometres from Bangkok and covers an area of 4,170 square kilometres. |
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History |
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Phang-nga was originally inhabited by small communities and named Kraphu-nga. During the reign of King Rama II, nearby areas (including Thalung, now known as Phuket) were occupied by the Burmese and so many people fled to Kraphu-nga. In 1824, Siamese troops defeated the Burmese and the invaders were expelled. King Rama III renamed the area Phang-nga and in 1933 the town was expanded to be a province.
On the fateful morning of December 26, 2004 Phang-nga Bay was devastated by a Tsunami disaster and thousands of people lost their lives.
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Administrative divisions |
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Phang Nga is subdivided into 8 districts (Amphoe), which are further subdivided into 48 communes (tambon) and 314 villages (muban).
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