Ubon Ratchathani (, ; , ), often shortened to Ubon (), is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces. It lies in lower northeastern Thailand (also called Isan). Ubon is about from Bangkok. Neighboring provinces are (from west clockwise) Sisaket, Yasothon, and Amnat Charoen.
Five inscriptions of the sixth and seventh centuries come from the province, and one of the hospital inscriptions of the Angkorian king Jayavarman VII was found near the city. The province meets Laos and Cambodia on the Mekong and in the Dângrêk Mountains, and its national parks include Pha Taem, known for its prehistoric rock paintings. To the north and east it borders Salavan and Champasak of Laos, to the south Preah Vihear of Cambodia.
History Five inscriptions from the province belong to a corpus of twenty-four that Chaowanee Lekkla refers to Zhēnlà: Pak Nam Mun I and II, Pak Dom Noi, Tham Phu Manai and Ban Tung Lung, with a sixth in Wat Supattanaram. Brick ruins and a broken linga on a moonstone-shaped pedestal were found at Tham Phu Manai. She places the Mun-river group 290 km north of Sambor Prei Kuk by the Mun. Sarah Talbot gives Thailand's oldest lintel as the one at Wat Supattanaram, of the early seventh century, carved in a style transitional between those of Thala Borivat and Sambor Prei Kuk (c. 600–635).
One of the seven Sanskrit inscriptions of śaka 1108, that is 1186, recording hospital foundations of the Angkorian king Jayavarman VII (r. 1181–1218) was found near Ubon; the others of the group come from the Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum and Surin regions and from Sai Fong on the Mekong, in what is now Laos.
The city was founded in the late 18th century by Thao Kham Phong, descendant of Phra Wo and Phra Ta, who escaped from King Siribunsan of Vientiane into Siam Kingdom during the reign of King Taksin the Great. Later Thao Kham Phong was appointed to be "Phra Pathum Wongsa," the first ruler of Ubon Ratchathani. In 1792, Ubon Ratchathani became a province, and was also the administrative center of the monthon Isan.
Until 1972, Ubon Ratchathani was the largest province of Thailand by area. Yasothon was split off from Ubon Ratchathani in 1972, followed by Amnat Charoen in 1993.
Before it became a province. Ubon Ratchathani was the administrative center of the monthon Isan, of which monthon Ubon was split off. In 1925 it became part of monthon Nakhon Ratchasima, with the abolishment of the monthon in 1933 the province became a first level subdivision of the country.
Symbols The provincial seal shows a lotus flower in a pond. This alludes to the meaning of the name of the province, which translates to 'royal city of the lotus flower'. The provincial flower is the lotus (Nymphaea lotus). The provincial tree is the Yang-na (Dipterocarpus alatus). Black-eared catfish (Pangasius larnaudii) is the provincial aquatic animal.
Economy Ubon Ratchathani's economy is largely agricultural. It is the nation's leading rice-producing province. It earns more than 10 billion baht a year from rice sales. It is also an important grower of casava.
Around 50% of the workforce in Ubon Ratchathani are in the agricultural sector.
It also generates billions of baht from manufacturing.
Ubon Ratchathani is also along the Meekong with a major crossing into Laos at Chongmek. It also borders Cambodia. This makes it important for both trade and as a tourism gateway.
Geography At Khong Chiam the Mun River, the biggest river of the Khorat Plateau, joins the Mekong, which forms the northeastern boundary of Thailand with Laos. It is called "Maenam Song Si" or the "Mun River alluvium" because the brown water from Mekong River mixes with the blue water of the Mun. It is about from Ubon Ratchathani city centre.
The borders of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia meet in the Dângrêk Mountains. The area is promoted as the "Emerald Triangle", in contrast to the "Golden Triangle" in the north of Thailand. "Emerald" refers to the largely intact monsoon forests there. The total forest area is or 18 percent of provincial area.
National parks Ubon Ratchathani boasts the following national parks: Phu Chong–Na Yoi National Park is in the mountainous southern region of the province. Kaeng Tana National Park is in Khong Chiam District. Pha Taem National Park, plateaus and hills dominate the park landscape. The sheer cliffs here are a result of earthquakes. The interesting places in the national park are Pha Taem and Pha Kham. On the cliffs surfaces are numerous prehistoric cave paintings from 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. These paintings depict scenes of fishing, rice farming, figures of people, animals, hands and geometric designs that depict life during the pre-historic time and reflect the ancient lifestyle of the people who lived there. There are four national parks, along with two other national parks, make up region 9 (Ubon Ratchathani) of Thailand's protected areas. (Visitors in fiscal year 2024) Phu Chong–Na Yoi National Park (127,443) Pha Taem National Park (166,375) Khao Phra Wihan National Park (186,276) Kaeng Tana National Park (29,773)
Wildlife sanctuaries There are two wildlife sanctuaries, along with four other wildlife sanctuaries, make up region 9 (Ubon Ratchathani) of Thailand's protected areas. Buntharik–Yot Mon Wildlife Sanctuary Yot Dom Wildlife Sanctuary
Location protected areas of Ubon Ratchathani National park 1 Phu Chong-Na Yoi 2 Pha Taem 3 Khao Phra Wihan 4 Kaeng Tana Wildlife sanctuary 5 Buntharik-Yot Mon 6 Yot Dom
Health The main hospital of Ubon Ratchathani province is Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital.
Transportation Air
Ubon Ratchathani is served by Ubon Ratchathani Airport.
Rail Ubon Ratchathani Railway Station is the main railway station in Ubon Ratchathani.
Education
Ubon Ratchathani province is the home of Ubon Ratchathani University.
Administrative divisions
Provincial government The province is divided into 25 districts (amphoe). The districts are further divided into 219 subdistricts (tambons) and 2,469 villages (mubans). 1.Mueang Ubon Ratchathani2.Si Mueang Mai3.Khong Chiam4.Khueang Nai5.Khemarat6.Det Udom7.Na Chaluai8.Nam Yuen9.Buntharik10.Trakan Phuet Phon11.Kut Khaopun12.Muang Sam Sip13.Warin Chamrap14.Phibun Mangsahan15.Tan Sum16.Pho Sai17.Samrong18.Don Mot Daeng19.Sirindhorn20.Thung Si Udom21.Na Yia22.Na Tan23.Lao Suea Kok24.Sawang Wirawong25.Nam Khun
Municipalities No.City/TownThaiUrban PopulationNotes1.Ubon Ratchathaniเทศบาลนครอุบลราชธานี79,0232.Jaeramairเทศบาลเมืองแจระแม11,0923.Kham Yaiเทศบาลตำบลขามใหญ่34,5384.Warin Chamrapเทศบาลเมืองวารินชำราบ28,1545.Saen Sukเทศบาลตำบลแสนสุข 24,720 6.Det Udomเทศบาลเมืองเดชอุดม 14,2647.Kud Prathayเทศบาลตำบลกุดประทาย 13,3828.Kholaenเทศบาลตำบลคอแลน 12,7039.Thep Wongsaเทศบาลตำบลเทพวงศา10.Phibun Mangsahanเทศบาลเมืองพิบูลมังสาหาร 10,84211.Pathumเทศบาลตำบลปทุม 10,50512.Nong Phueเทศบาลตำบลหนองผือ 9,68513.Trakanเทศบาลตำบลตระการ 9,08214.Nam Yuenเทศบาลตำบลน้ำยืน 9,54215.Kham Pomเทศบาลตำบลขามป้อม 9,20916.Nikhom Sang Ton Eng Lum Dom Noiเทศบาลตำบลนิมคมสร้างตนเองลำโดมน้อย 7,53817.Na Chaluayเทศบาลตำบลนาจะหลวย 7,47018.Buangamเทศบาลตำบลบัวงาม 7,08619.Na Yiaเทศบาลตำบลนาเยีย 6,73020.Khemmaratthaniเทศบาลตำบลเขมราฐ 6,28821.Ubonเทศบาลตำบลอุบล 6,10122.Khuang Naiเทศบาลตำบลเขื่องใน 4,75123.Buntharikเทศบาลตำบลบุณฑริก 4,60724.Sri Muangmaiเทศบาลตำบลศรีเมืองใหม่ 4,28425.Kud Khaopunเทศบาลตำบลกุดข้าวปุ้น 4,12426.Chongmekเทศบาลตำบลช่องเม็ก 3,62827.Muang Sam Sipเทศบาลตำบลม่วงสามสิบ 3,35828.Huai Khayungเทศบาลตำบลห้วยขะยูง 3,34629.Ang Silaเทศบาลตำบลอ่างศิลา 3,30430.Tansumเทศบาลตำบลตาลสุม 3,26731.Na Suangเทศบาลตำบลนาส่วง 3,21532.Phosaiเทศบาลตำบลโพธิ์ไทร 3,10033.ฺBaan Dan - Khong Chiumเทศบาลตำบลบ้านด่านโขงเจียม 2,74134.Hua Naเทศบาลตำบลหัวนา N/A35.Muag Srikaiเทศบาลตำบลเมืองศรีไค N/A36.Thatเทศบาลตำบลธาตุ N/A
Local government As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Ubon Ratchathani Provincial Administration Organisation () and 60 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Ubon Ratchathani has city (thesaban nakhon) status. Chaeramae, Det Udom, Phibun Mangsahan and Warin Chamrap have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 54 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 179 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations – SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
Human achievement index 2022 Health Education Employment Income 46 63 32 72 Housing Family Transport Participation 24 4 61 53 Province Ubon Ratchathani, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6272 is "somewhat low", occupies place 60 in the ranking. Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017. RankClassification 1–13"High"14–29"Somewhat high"30–45"Average"46–61"Somewhat low"62–77"Low"
Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings
Gallery
Sister cities Bujumbura, Burundi Kigali, Rwanda Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo Paris, France
Notable people Luang Phu Chah (1918–1992), Buddhist monk Banyen Rakgan (born 1952), mo lam and luk thung singer Superlek Sorn E-Sarn (1969–2013), Muaythai kickboxer Nungubon Sitlerchai (born 1971), Muaythai kickboxer, professional boxer Orono Por Muang Ubon (born 1973), Muaythai kickboxer Tai Orathai (born 1980), luk thung singer Wanchalearm Satsaksit (born 1982), pro-democracy activist who mysteriously disappeared in June 2020
References
External links
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT): Ubon Ratchathani
Website of province (Thai only)