Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang (Thai นครลำปาง) to differentiate from Lampang Province, is the third largest town in northern Thailand and capital of the Lampang Province and the Lampang district. Traditional names for Lampang include Wiang Lakon and Khelang Nakhon. Image File history File links Location_Lampang_town. ... Lampang (Thai ลำปาง) is one of the northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. ...

Geography and Climate

Lampang city is situated in the valley of the Wang River, bordered by the Khuntan Range on the west and the Pi-Pan-Num range on the east. The river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya flows directly through the city. The Wang River (Thai วัง) is a Penis in northern Thailand. ...

Lampang has a relatively dry climate relative to nearby provinces. "Winter" starts from the last rain, typically November, and last until March. Cold airmass from Siberia sometimes lead to night time temperature below 10 degree celsius, although that is quite rare. Winter is characterized by dry, sunny, and quite pleasant day, and cool and occasionally foggy nights. In recent times, the blue winter sky is often marred by the practice of burning the fields after the harvest, as well as the smog generated by Mae Mo coal-fired powerplants.

Summer typically starts from March until June. The temperature could soar to 40 degree celsius in April. Late afternoon thunderstorms and hailstorm are frequent.

Rainy season starts from June until November. Being in the relative rain shadow, Lampang receive less precipitation than neighboring provinces and rarely suffer from extensive flooding which has plagued Chiang Mai in recent years.

History

The Founding Myth of Lampang. Hariphunchai Period. Lampang was a major city in the Lanna kingdom. However, its historical prominence is largely overshadowed by Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai which were the traditional seats of government, and whose histories were well recorded in chronicles. Following decades of warfare with both the Ava burmese and Ayuddhya during the 17th-18th century, the region was in decline, severely depopulated, and subject to Burmese control. In the late 18th century, a famed marksman Nan Thipchang and a Lampang native, assassinated the local Burmese leader in the Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, and led an uprising which led to a roll back of Burmese rule over Lanna. Allied with Bangkok, the descendents of Nan Thip Chang, known as Chao Ched Ton (The Seven Princes), became the vassal rulers of the various Lanna cities until the annexation of Lanna into Siam (Thailand) proper under King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). A street scene in Chiang Mai, showing (centre right), a gate of the old city wall. ... Nakhon Chiang Rai, showing the ancient city walls and more recent gates : Pratu Nang Ing (ประตูนางอิง) Pratu Chiang Mai (ประตูเชียงใหม่) Pratu Wai (ประตูหวาย) Pratu Pa Daeng (ประตูป่าแดัง) Pratu Pi (ประตูผี) Pratu Kha Tam (ประตูขะต๊ำ) Pratu Tha Nak (ประตูท่านาค) Pratu Tha Sai (ประตูท่าทราย) Pratu Tho (ประตูท่อ) Pratu Yang Soeng (ประตูยางเสิ้ง) Pratu Jao Chai (ประตูเจ้าชาย) Pratu Sri (ประตูสรี) Nakhon Chiang Rai (Thai เชียงราย; locally also... His Majesty King Rama V of Siam, with his son, HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajirunnahis (portrait in National History Museum, Bangkok) King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V (royal name: Phra Chula Chomklao Chaoyuhua; Thai script: พระบาทสมเด็จพระจุลจอมเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว) (September 20, 1853 - October 23, 1910) was the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty...

Economy

Besides the traditional rice paddy farming, pineapple, and sugarcane constitute major food crops. Lampang has a large deposit of lignites in Mae Moh district, and hosted several coal-fired electricity generating plants, whose pollution has severely affected the local populations. Lampang also has a large deposit of Kaolin which is widely utilized in the ceramics industry. Historically, logging was an important industry, since Lampang, together with nearby Phrae had a large stand of teak. Many elephants were employed to transport the logs to the river for transport to Bangkok, hence a founding of the 'Elephant School', the predecessor of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center. Much of the old growth teak stands in Lampang had been thoroughly harvested. Kaolin Kaolinite (Aluminium Silicate Hydroxide) Kaolinite is a mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. ... Phrae is a town in northern Thailand, capital of the Phrae Province. ... Species Tectona grandis Tectona hamiltoniana Tectona philippinensis Teak (Tectona), also called jati is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation. ...

Culture

Lampang, also called "meuang rot ma" in Thai, meaning "Horse Carriage City", is considered by some Thais as the last paradise in Thailand. It is located about 100 km to the southeast of Chiang Mai. Although well-connected by rail, and 4-lane highways to both Bangkok and Chiangmai, it is here that tourists can still find the horse-drawn carriages in regular use for transportation. This, altogether with the relative lack of skyscrapers that have contaminated Chiangmai's skyline of late, make Lampang an increasingly favored setting for period drama. One account attributes the horse-drawn carriage to the Portuguese, via Macau, although a more likely origin is colonial Burma—Lampang was an important center of timber industry in the early 20th century and saw an influx of migrants from British-controlled Burma. The horse-drawn carriage is one of the most memorable symbol of Lampang, as reflected in many traditional products. Chiang Mai (Thai เชียงใหม่) is the second-biggest province (changwat) of Thailand, located in the north of the country. ... The Bangkok Skytrain at sunset on Thanon Narathiwat Ratcha Nakharin with Empire Tower at the back. ... Tourists in a vis-a-vis, Prague The classic definition of a carriage is a four-wheeled horse-drawn private passenger vehicle with leaf springs (elliptical springs in the 19th century) or leather strapping for suspension, whether light, smart and fast or large and comfortable. ...

Lampang has a few institutions of higher learning, such as Yonok College, and a branch of Thammasat University. Thammasat University (Thai: มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์), formerly known as the University of Moral and Political Science (มหาวิทยาลัยวิชาธรรมศาสตร์และการเมือง), is the second oldest university in Thailand and is often considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in the country. ...

Outer Staircase of Wat Phra That Lampang Luang

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1980x2648, 356 KB) Naga staircase and entrance to the temple Wat Phra Tat Lampang Luang, Lampang province, Thailand. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1980x2648, 356 KB) Naga staircase and entrance to the temple Wat Phra Tat Lampang Luang, Lampang province, Thailand. ...

Transportation

Lampang is approximately 600 km from Bangkok. The city is an important highway hub, with 4-lane divided highways link to Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, as well as major highway to Phrae and eastern Lanna provinces. Lampang is a major stop for the Chiang Mai-bound train, approximately 10 hours from Bangkok. Lampang Airport is currently served by PB Air, which operate daily flights to Bangkok via Phitsanulok Phitsanulok is an important and historic town in north central Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok province, which stretches all the way to the Laotian border. ...

Landmarks and Tourist Attractions

While Lampang is a major northern city well-served by road, rail, and air transportation, it is spared from mass tourism which has altered the character of nearby cities such as Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Tourists typically stop by for lunch and visit the more famous attractions such as Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and the Thai Elephant Conservation Center and then proceed to points further north such as Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. Less well-known tourist attractions in Lampang are thus mostly visited by locals. Among these are the Wang Kaeo waterfall and the Chae Son national park, a compact yet charming park which combine a natural hot spring with large waterfalls. A street scene in Chiang Mai, showing (centre right), a gate of the old city wall. ... Nakhon Chiang Rai, showing the ancient city walls and more recent gates : Pratu Nang Ing (ประตูนางอิง) Pratu Chiang Mai (ประตูเชียงใหม่) Pratu Wai (ประตูหวาย) Pratu Pa Daeng (ประตูป่าแดัง) Pratu Pi (ประตูผี) Pratu Kha Tam (ประตูขะต๊ำ) Pratu Tha Nak (ประตูท่านาค) Pratu Tha Sai (ประตูท่าทราย) Pratu Tho (ประตูท่อ) Pratu Yang Soeng (ประตูยางเสิ้ง) Pratu Jao Chai (ประตูเจ้าชาย) Pratu Sri (ประตูสรี) Nakhon Chiang Rai (Thai เชียงราย; locally also... The National Elephant Institute was founded as the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC). ...

Many temples in downtown Lampang were built in the Burmese style, originally endowed by the logging tycoons of the late-19th century. Wat Sri Bunrueang and Wat Pa Fang are among the extant examples. Traditional Lanna architecture can be found at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang, which situated at the site of the ancient Lampang city. It is famous for its murals from the 19th century. The city seal features a white rooster in the temple's gate. Wat Phra Kaeo Don Tao, on the West Bank of the Wang River, is said to have housed the Emerald Buddha between 1436 and 1468. Wat Phra That Chedi Sao (The Temple of Twenty Chedis) is famous for its array of twent pagodas. Emerald Buddha The Emerald Buddha (Thai พระแก้วมรกต - Phra Kaew Morakot, or official name พระพุทธมหามณีรัตนปฏิมากร - Phra Bhuddha Maha Mani Ratana Patimakorn) is the palladium of the Kingdom of Thailand, a figurine of the sitting Buddha, made of green jade (rather than emerald), clothed in gold, and about 45 cm tall. ...

Mae Moh lignites mine. A vast open pit lignite mine in the Mae Moh basin. The mine and the adjoining power generation facilities are operated by EGAT and is a major source of electric power for Thailand. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is a state enterprise that owns and manages the majority of Thailands electricity generation capacity, as well as the nations transmission network. ...

Coordinates: 18°18′N 99°30′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...