Amphoe Pangmapha

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Pangmapha
ปางมะผ้า
Statistics
Province:	Mae Hong Son
Area:	798.375 km²
Inhabitants:	19,708 (2005)
Pop. density:	24.7 inh./km²
Geocode:	5807
Postal code:	58150
Map

Pangmapha (Thai: ปางมะผ้า) is the northernmost district (Amphoe) of Mae Hong Son Province, northern Thailand.

In the Tai language (Shan), Mapha or Makpha (มะผ้า or หมากผ้า) means lime and Pang means hill, so a translation into English might be Lime Hill.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Administration
4 External links

[edit] History

Several prehistoric sites are known with in Pangmapha area. The most famous one is the Spirit Cave, discovered by Chester Gorman in the mid 1960s, was occupied from about 9000 till 5500 BC by Hoabinhian hunters and gatherers. Two other significant sites nearby are the Banyan Valley Cave and the Steep Cliff Cave.

During World War II the Japanese troops built a road from Pai to Mueang Mae Hong Son and further to Myanmar. Later people used the road for transportation and commercial, using Ban Sop Pong Mae Umong (บ้านสบป่องแม่อูมอง) for the overnight stop. The government built a police station in the area that called Pangmapha in 1948. Later in 1977 the government improved the road, many people from other districts and provinces, hill tribes and refugees from Myanmar moved to the area. This created problems like drug trafficking and deforestation. To improve the administration of the area, the government created the Pangmapha minor district (King Amphoe) in 1987. It was upgraded to a full district on December 5th, 1996.

[edit] Geography

Neighboring are (from southeast clockwise) Pai, Mueang Mae Hong Son of Mae Hong Son Province and Shan State of Myanmar.

The main river of the district is the Khong River.

[edit] Administration

The district is subdivided into 4 communes (tambon), which is are further subdivided into 38 villages (muban). There are no municipal (thesaban) areas, and 4 Tambon administrative organizations.

No.	Name	Thai name	Villages	Inh.
1.	Soppong	สบป่อง	8	7,398
2.	Pangmapha	ปางมะผ้า	11	4,017
3.	Tham Lot	ถ้ำลอด	7	3,784
4.	Napu Pom	นาปู่ป้อม	12	4,509