Phaya Mengrai (Thai: พญาเม็งราย, pronounced [pʰā.jāː mēŋ.rāːj]; Northern Thai: พญามังฮาย, pronounced [pʰā.ɲāː māŋ.hāːj]) is a district (amphoe) of Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand.
Phaya Mengrai
พญาเม็งราย | |
|---|---|
 Chedi, Phaya Mengrai | |
 District location in Chiang Rai province | |
| Coordinates: 19°50′56″N 100°9′13″E / 19.84889°N 100.15361°E | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Province | Chiang Rai |
| Seat | Mengrai |
| Area | |
| • Total | 620.0 km2 (239.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 41,972 |
| • Density | 67.7/km2 (175/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (ICT) |
| Postal code | 57290 |
| Geocode | 5712 |
Geography
editNeighboring districts are (from the west clockwise): Wiang Chai, Wiang Chiang Rung, Chiang Khong, Khun Tan and Thoeng of Chiang Rai Province.
History
editThe minor district (king amphoe) was created on 5 May 1981, when the three tambons Mae Pao, Mae Tam, and Mai Ya were split off from Thoeng district.[1] It was upgraded to a full district on 12 August 1987.[2]
Etymology
editThe district is named after King Mengrai, the founder of the Lanna kingdom of northern Thailand.
Economy
editTambon Phay Mengrai is the site of a 2,700 rai Cavindish banana plantation owned and operated by the Chinese firm, Hongta International, a major local employer. The Cavendish banana is controversial as its cultivation requires the intensive use of chemical pesticides to yield harvests for export.[3] The Mekong-Lanna nature conservation network has accused the Chinese plantation of heavy use of pesticides and excessive water takings from Mae Ing Creek. These charges are as yet unsubstantiated (2016).[4]
Administration
editThe district is divided into five sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 69 villages (mubans). Phaya Mengrai is a township (thesaban tambon) which covers parts of tambons Mengrai and Mae Pao. There are a further five tambon administrative organizations (TAO).
| No. | Name | Thai name | Villages | Pop. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mae Pao | แม่เปา | 19 | 11,302 | |
| 2. | Mae Tam | แม่ต๋ำ | 11 | 5,026 | |
| 3. | Mai Ya | ไม้ยา | 17 | 11,069 | |
| 4. | Mengrai | เม็งราย | 14 | 9,899 | |
| 5. | Tat Khwan | ตาดควัน | 8 | 4,676 |
References
edit- ^ ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง แบ่งท้องที่อำเภอเทิง จังหวัดเชียงราย ตั้งเป็นกิ่งอำเภอพญาเม็งราย (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 98 (68 ง): 1283. 5 May 1981. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2012.
- ^ พระราชกฤษฎีกาจัดตั้งอำเภอพญาเม็งราย อำเภอพบพระ อำเภอทับคล้อ อำเภอบ้านโคก และอำเภอโพธิ์ไทร พ.ศ. ๒๕๓๐ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai). 104 (156 ก special): 26–28. 12 August 1987. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 April 2012.
- ^ Kongrut, Anchalee (15 August 2016). "The fear of becoming a banana state". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- ^ "Cultivating risky business" (Editorial). Bangkok Post. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
External links
edit
Chiang Rai Province travel guide from Wikivoyage- amphoe.com
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