Phitsanulok Province

The lands of present-day Phitsanulok Province were inhabited since the Stone Age, although the Neolithic inhabitants of the region are not likely to have been the ancestors of the modern Thai people who reside there today. The earliest historical records relating to the area indicate that at a time prior to or during the 11th century, the present-day city of Phitsanulok was a small strategic Khmer outpost known as Song Khwae. During the next century, in 1188, Nakhon Thai, near the center of the present Phitsanulok Province, was established as the capital city of the Singhanavati Kingdom, an early city-state of Thailand. Later, during Thailand's Sukhothai Period, the city of Phitsanulok emerged as a major city in the east of the Sukhothai Kingdom, and the great temples of Wat Chula Manee, Wat Aranyik and Wat Chedi Yod Thong were constructed. In 1357, the renowned Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat was erected, and the Ayutthaya Period witnessed the construction of several of the province's other chief temples. Phitsanulok served for 25 years as the capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom. In 1555, King Naresuan the Great was born in Phitsanulok. Naresuan played a significant role in the history of Thailand, as he expanded the kingdom (then called Siam) to its greatest territorial extent by conquering sizable portions of modern-day Burma and Cambodia. In recent times, Phitsanulok Province has become an important agricultural center, part of the "bread basket of Thailand", providing rice and other crops to consumers in Thailand and throughout the world. Extensive agricultural development over the last hundred years or so has spawned a modern infrastructure in the urban areas of the province, bringing with it an array of modern roads, universities, hospitals and other conveniences. Over the years, the Nan River and its tributaries have played a substantial role in the history and development of the region by providing a route for transportation, fertile soil for agriculture, and water for irrigation. The river waters have also served as a route for enemy invaders, and have been the source of periodic widespread flooding throughout the province.

Phra Phuttha Chinnarat

• The provincial seal depicts Phra Buddha Chinnarat, considered one of the most beautiful Buddha figures in Thailand.
• The provincial flag is purple with the provincial seal in the middle of the flag.
• The provincial tree is the tree jasmine, Thai dok phip ดอกปีบ or kasalong กาสะลอง.
• The provincial flower is the yellow flame tree, Thai dok nonthri ดอกนนทรี.
• The provincial animal is the Thai Bangkaew Dog, in Thai sunakh bangkaew สุนัขบางแก้ว.
• The provincial mascot is the yellow white tail fighting cock, Thai kai lueng hang khao ไก่เหลืองหางขาว.
• The provincial motto is, "Phitsanulok, a town of the excellent Phra Buddha Chinnarat, the birthplace of King Naresuan the Great, a raft community, with delicious dried bananas as well as fantastic caves and waterfalls".[4]

Foggy morning at Thung Salaeng Luang National Park

• Thung Salaeng Luang National Park
• Namtok Chat Trakan National Park
• Phu Soi Dao National Park
• Phu Hin Rong Kla National Park
• Kaeng Chet Khwae National Park

Phra Phuttha Chinnarat

As of 2010 the population of Phitsanulok was 95 percent Buddhist with some 500 temples in the province.

A few of the some 100 temples in Mueang Phitsanulok district are:

• Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat (royal temple with Buddha Chinnarat)
• Wat Chulamani (oldest standing temple in Phitsanulok province)
• Wat Aranyik (historic temple)
• Wat Chan Tawan Tok (with 60 meter high sala under construction)

The other eight districts have the following numbers of temples:

• Nakhon Thai district: some 50 temples
• Chat Trakan district: some 30 temples
• Bang Rakam district: some 70 temples
• Bang Krathum district: some 40 temples
• Phrom Phiram district: some 60 temples
• Wat Bot district: some 30 temples
• Wang Thong district: some 80 temples
• Noen Maprang district: some 40 temples

List of temples in Phitsanulok Province

Phitsanulok province is divided into nine districts (amphoe). These are further subdivided into 93 subdistricts (tambon) and 1052 villages (muban).[2] As of 26 November 2019 for local government there are[5]: one Phitsanulok Provincial Administrative Organisation - PPOA (ongkan borihan suan changwat phitsanulok) and 26 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Phitsanulok has city (thesaban nakhon) status, Aranyik has town (thesaban mueang) status and 24 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 76 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Districts, Phitsanulok Province	#	Name	Thai	Population	Tambon	Muban
	1	Mueang Phitsanulok	เมืองพิษณุโลก	291,642	20	177
	2	Nakhon Thai	นครไทย	87,647	11	145
	3	Chat trakan	ชาติตระการ	41,329	6	72
	4	Bang Rakam	บางระกำ	95,028	11	142
	5	Bang Krathum	บางกระทุ่ม	47,551	9	87
	6	Phrom Phiram	พรหมพิราม	86,682	12	123
	7	Wat Bot	วัดโบสถ์	37,777	6	61
	8	Wang Thong	วังทอง	121,190	11	168
	9	Noen Maprang	เนินมะปราง	58,045	7	77

Phitsanulok's main hospital is Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital, operated by the Ministry of Public Health.

Health	Education	Employment	Income
62	28	40	47
Housing	Family	Transport	Participation
32	53	24	49
Province Phitsanulok, with an HAI 2017 value of 0.5895 is "average", occupies place 35 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.[3]

Map with provinces and HAI 2017 rankings

Thai Wikisource has original text related to this article: History of Phitsanulok by Prince Damrong

• Wildlife of Phitsanulok Province
• Thai–Laotian Border War

Reports (data) from Thai government are "not copyrightable" (Public Domain), Copyright Act 2537 (1994), section 7.

• Official site of Phitsanulok Province