1. Nakhon Ratchasima Province
The capital of the province is The City of Nakhon Ratchasima located in Mueang Nakhon
Ratchasima District, also called Korat or Khorat. It is one of the north-eastern provinces. The
province is located on the western end of the Khorat Plateau, separated from the Chao Phraya
river valley by the Phetchabun and Dong Phaya Yen mountain ranges. Two national parks are in
the province - the Khao Yai in the west and the Thab Lan in the south. Nakhon Ratchasima, or
"Khorat," is a large province on the northeastern plateau and acts as a gateway to other
provinces in the Northeast. It is 259 kilometres from Bangkok and has an area of around 20,494
square kilometres, making it the biggest province in Thailand. The province is rich in Khmer
culture and has a long history.
History
The area around Korat was already an important center in the times of the Khmer empire in the
11th century, as can be seen by the temple ruins in the Phimai historical park. The new walledcity with moat, Nakhon Ratchasima, was built in the seventeenth century by order of the
Ayutthaya King, Narai, as the easternmost 'command post', guarding the Kingdom's border, and
supervise it's Laotian and Cambodian 'vassals'. It took over this duty during the Bangkok Period,
and became the stronghold against the Laotian incursion in the nineteenth century, although it
was first seized. Even from the creation of Siam as a 'nation' at the end of nineteenth century,
Nakhon Ratchasima continued to be the most important political and economic center in the
northeastern region. In the late nineteenth century, the railroad first arrived and Korat became
the junction of two main rail lines in the Northeastern, Isan, region. In 1933 it was the stronghold
of the royalist troops, leading the abortive attempt, known as Boworadej Revolt, rebelling against
new democratic government in Bangkok. In the seventies, the city was again the site of US
bases operating in the Vietnam War.
Symbols
Provincial seal A monument of Thao Suranaree or Khun Ying MO (1771 - 1852) situated in
front of the old gate of "Prau Chumpon". The Great Heroine of Korat; Thao Suranaree, wife of
the Deputy Governor of Korat during the reign of King Rama III. In 1826s Khun Ying Mo,
managed to save the city from the invasion of the Laotian army led by Prince Anouvong of
Vientiane. King Rama III conferred the title of Thao Suranaree on Khun Ying Mo, as well as
conferring additional titles honouring her bravery.
Provincial Tree
Sa-Thorn (Millettia leucantha Kurz)
Provincial Motto

Land of brave women, Fine Silk material, Khorat Rice noodle, Phimai historical
park, and Dan Kwian Ceramics.
Tourism
Nakhon Ratchasima or Khorat, is Thailand’s largest province and the ‘Gateway to Isaan’
(Gateway to the North-East). It also has beautiful National Parks, with many forests, mountains,
waterfalls, and reservoirs. Furthermore, it is well known for a variety of quality handicrafts that
visitors can choose from. Regarding tourism, locals Thais make up the majority. Most foreigners
who visit the north-east view Khorat as just a stepping stone and pass right through without
taking the opportunity to tour this province with it's interesting and diverse history, architecture
and natural beaury.
Local Products
Nakhon Ratchasima has a wide variety of local goods that tourists can buy from city markets or
production centres. Famous handicrafts are Dan Kwian earthenware, silk and Mat Mi silk from
Pak Thong Chai. Products of housewives can be bought from the Khorat Goods Centre near the
provincial hall.
Food products include sausages, fermented sausages, Chinese sausages, minced pork that is
found everywhere in the city and in Pak Chong, and Khorat noodles that are sold everywhere.
The largest fruit market is Klang Dong Market before going up Khao Yai. This is where produce
from Nakhon Ratchasima and nearby provinces is sold. The most famous fruit of Klang Dong is
custard apple that is sold all year round
Khorat is traditionally an agricultural province where most of the population works in farming
such as: rice, sugar cane, tapioca, corn, jute, peanuts, sesame and fruits. In this day and age
however, many of Khorat’s younger generation are moving to near-by Bangkok to work.
The people of Khorat are a mixed-breed. There are those of Khmer ancestry, Laotian ancestry
and Chinese ancestry. In the town areas, most of the people speak standard Thai but in the
more rural areas, they speak ‘Khorat’ which is a dialect half way between Thai and Isaan
(Laotian).
2. Bangkok
The city of Bangkok is the capital, largest urban area and primary
city of Thailand. Known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or
Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of
the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and came
to the forefront of Thailand when it was given the status as the
capital city in 1768 after the burning of Ayutthaya, the former
kingdom seat and capital of the Ayuthaya province. It was also
ranked by "Travel and Leisure" as the best city in the world for the
year 2008.
However, the current Rattanakosin Kingdom did not begin until
1782 when the capital was moved across the river after being
sacked by the Burmese. The Rattanakosin capital is now more
formally called "Phra Nakorn", pertaining to the ancient
boundaries in the metropolis' core and the name Bangkok now
incorporates the urban build-up since the 18th century which has
its own public administration and governor.
In the span of over two hundred years, Bangkok has been the political, social and economic
center of not only Thailand but for much of South East Asia and Indochina as well. Its influence
in the arts, politics, fashion, education and entertainment as well as being a business, financial
and cultural center of Asia has given Bangkok the status of a global city.
Bangkok is the world's 22nd largest city by population with approximately 8,160,522 registered
residents (July 2007), but due to large unregistered influxes of migrants from the North East of
Thailand and of many nations across Asia, the population of greater Bangkok is estimated at
nearly 15 million people. This has in turn shifted the country from being a rather homogenous
Thai population to increasingly a more vibrant mix of Western, Indian and Chinese people. The
capital is part of the heavily urbanized triangle of central and eastern region of Thailand which
stretches from Nakhon Ratchasima along Bangkok to the industrialized eastern seaboard.
Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand, dominating the country's economy and dwarfing
other urban centers. Development continues to pour in to Bangkok mostly neglecting the rest of
the nation. Tourism is a significant contributor to Thailand's economy, providing about 5 percent
of GDP. Bangkok is Thailand's principal international gateway and a destination in its own right.
Income inequality of Bangkok's residents is significant, especially between relatively unskilled
lower-income immigrants from rural provinces in Thailand and neighboring countries and middle
class professionals (45% of registered residents), business elites, and retired and working
foreign expats. About 7 percent of Bangkok's population (excluding illegal immigrants who
constitute about 5-8 percent of population) lives below the poverty line compared to the national
average of 9 percent.
Bangkok is considered to be one of the world's top tourist hotspots. According to Travel and
Leisure magazine it is Asia's best tourist destination, the third in the world in 2006 and overall
best city in the world in 2008, though it is prone to confidence tricksters, so much that google
lists 1.8 million hits for the words thai scams. It is also voted the best city in Asia according to
Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Bangkok is Thailand's major tourist gateway, which means that
the majority of foreign tourists arrive in Bangkok. The Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes to
draw 15 million tourists in 2007, up from 11.6 million in 2005. The city boasts some of the
country's most visited historical venues such as the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, and Wat Arun.
There are numerous projects to maintain Bangkok's historic sites in the Rattanakosin area and
river districts. Bangkok is known as Orient's most cosmopolitan city and until now preserves its
cultural heritage which makes it an irresistible place to visit.
History
The town of Bangkok was a small Khmer trading post on the west bank of the Chao Phraya
River before the establishment of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, the precursor of modern Thailand
which existed from 1350 to 1767. The etymology of the town's name is unclear. Bang is the
Central Thai name for a town situated on the bank of a river. It is believed that "Bangkok"
derived from either Bang Kok, kok being the Thai name for one or more olive-bearing fruits
(olive in Thai is makok); or Bang Koh, koh meaning "island," a reference to the area's landscape
which was carved by rivers and canals.
Wat Phra Kaew was constructed as part of the Grand Palace complex at the founding of the
capital.
After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese Kingdom in 1767, the newly declared King Taksin
established a new capital in the area of then-Bangkok, which became known as Thonburi. When
Taksin's reign ended in 1782, King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke reconstructed the capital on the
east bank of the river and gave the city a ceremonial name (see below) which became
shortened to its current official name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (which, like "Los Angeles",
means "city of angels"). The new city, however, also inherited the name Bangkok, which
continued to be used by foreigners to refer to the entire city and became its official English
name, while in Thai the name still refers only to the old district on the west bank of the river. The
city has since vastly modernized and undergone numerous changes, including the introduction
of transportation and utility infrastructure in the reigns of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn,
and quickly developed into the economic center of Thailand.
The Royal Chitralada Agriculture Projects
http://www.kanchanapisek.or.th/kp1/index_en.html
Having visited his subjects in all the regions of the Kingdom, His Majesty the King is acquainted
with their many problems and struggles especially in agriculture occupations that are respected
as the backbone of the country. Determined to solve the problems, His Majesty the King initiated
the “Royal Chitralada Agricultural Projects” within the compound of his residence, Chitralada
Villa. Since 1961, the RoyalChitralada Projects have been implementing a diverse range of
agricultural activities for experimentation and demonstration purposes. In addition, the projects
operate on a non- profit basis.
In the implementation of the Royal Chitralada Projects, emphasis is placed on implementing His
Majesty the King's initiatives called “Sufficiency Economy” that encourage the villagers to
become self-sufficient and improve their long-term quality of life. Moreover, issues regarding
optimal utilization of the natural resources and agricultural input available in Thailand as well
as agricultural byproducts and wastes are also emphasised. The projects rely on scientific and
technological progress in conducting studies, research and experimentation. They are fully
operational in order to promote and disseminate the knowledge by demonstration of simple
methods suitable for individual farmers and all people who are interested.
The projects can be divided into two types:
Non-profit projects: They are undertaken to implement His Majesty the King's initiatives for
increasing efficiency of the agricultural activities. Main focuses are improving the long-term
quality of life of the villagers especially encouraging them to become self-sufficient. In addition,
issues regarding natural resources conservation are also emphasised. The activities are
supported by government agencies as well as private sectors.
Non-profit projects include
+ Experimental Rice Fields
+ Demonstration Forest
+ Culture of Nil Fish
+ Wind Mill
+ Cold Water Production by Means of Heat Energy from Husk
+ Solar Energy House
+ Solar Cell-Powered Water Pumping System
+ Electricity Generation by Wind Power
+ Sa Mulberry Paper Production
+ Plant Tissue Culture
Semi-profit projects: They aim to promote public consumption of good quality but inexpensive
products produced in Thailand. According to profit-oriented basis, the profit earned is used to
sustain and develop the projects.
Semi-profit projects include
Dairy Farm and Dairy Products aim to study and experiment with all aspects regarding dairy
farming to find the most suitable operation for the condition of Thailand. In addition, there are
activities regarding processing diary products to promote dairy consumption to Thai people.
+ Suan Chitralada Dairy Farm
+ Milk Collection Centre
+ Suan Dusit Milk Powder Plant
+ Suan Dusit Milk Tablet Plant
+ Cheese Plant
+ Suan Chitralada UHT Milk Plant
Agro-Technologies focus on studying and demonstrating how to preserve and process
agricultural products. In addition, there are studies regarding how to use byproducts from
agricultural activities efficiently.
+ Suan Chitralada Experimental Rice Mill
+ Rice-Husk Grinding Plant
+ Organic Fertiliser Plant
+ Suan Chitralada Fruit Juice Pasteurisation Plant
+ Cannery Fruit Juice Plant
+ Dried Fruit and Bakery Production
+ Culture of Spirulina species
+ Mushroom Culture Plant
+ Honey Plant
+ Drinking Water Plant
+ Royal Candle Factory
Experimental Fuel Production Units aim to study and experiment to find an alternative source
of oil.
+ Ethyl-Alcohol Production
+ Gasohol and Diesohol Production
+ Biodiesel Production
According to the main aim of the Royal Chitralada Projects to be a demonstration project, there
are on-going activities on research and development to improve the quality of the products as
well as to produce new products.
Research and Development Unit was established, in 1983, for undertaking research on
developing new products for the Royal Chitralada Projects. The unit also investigates the
benefits of utilising agricultural wastes as raw materials for various products. Examples are
research on producing pasteurised fruit juice, cannery fruit juice, dried fruits, processed fruits,
spilurina crackers, granule instant drinks, cannery rice porridge, organic fertiliser and scented
candles.
Quality Control Unit is responsible for monitoring and regulating the quality of raw materials
and products of the Royal Chitralada Projects, to obtain products with consistent quality in
compliance with standard specifications (the Thai Food and Drug Administration standards).
There are three types of tests to analyse and measure quality factors i.e. physical tests,
chemical tests and microbiological tests.
Quality Assurance Unit takes responsible for inspecting raw materials, controlling production
processes, inspecting the sanitation of plants and personnel hygiene, storage of raw materials
prior to production, and storage of finished products as well as logistics storage prior to reaching
consumers. The unit also coordinates with plants to improve facilities in adherence to Good
Manufacturing Practice (GMP) policies for food products. This is to assure that products of the
Royal Chitralada Projects have consistently good quality according to product specifications.
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Unit is responsible for all documents and procedures
regarding GMP in food production.
http://www.palaces.thai.net/gp/index.htm
This palace has an area of 218,400 sq. metres and is surrounded by walls built in 1782. The
length of the four walls is 1,900 metres. Within these walls are situated government offices and
the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha besides the royal residences.
When Siam restored law and order after the fall of Ayutthaya the monarch lived in Thonburi on
the west side of the river. Rama I, on ascending the throne, moved the centre of administration
to this side of the Chao Phraya; and, after erecting public monuments such as fortifications and
monasteries, built a palace to serve not only as his residence but also his offices--the various
ministries, only one of which remains in the palace walls. This palace came to be known as the
Grand Palace, in which the earliest edifices contemporary with the foundation of Bangkok were
the two groups of residences named the Dusit Maha Prasat and the Phra Maha Monthian.
The Chapel Royal of The Emerald Buddha
Just north of the Royal Residence of the Maha Monthian from which
there is a connecting gate lies The Chapel Royal of The Emerald
Buddha. It consists of all the architectural features of the monastery
without however the residential quarter, for monks do not live here. The
Assembly Hall, or Ubosoth, serves as the monarch's private chapel.
Hence the partition on either side of the main altar intended as a retiring
room,which is never to be found anywhere else but the only other chapel
royal, that of the King of Thonburi, which serves now as the Assembly
Hall of the monastery of Arun within the former grounds of the palace of
that king. The "Emerald Buddha" is carved from a block of jade. It is an
object of national veneration and crowds come to pay respect to the
memory of the Buddha and His Teachings on certain days of the weeks
when it is open to the public.