| Ban Pong บ้านโป่ง |
|
|---|---|
| — Amphoe — | |
| Lakeside restaurants at sunset. Bueng, Nong Kop, Ban Pong District | |
| Amphoe location in Ratchaburi Province | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Province | Ratchaburi |
| Seat | |
| Tambon | |
| Muban | |
| Amphoe established | |
| Area | |
| • Total | 366.6 km2 (141.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2543) | |
| • Total | 157,689 |
| • Density | 430.1/km2 (1,114/sq mi) |
| Time zone | THA (UTC+7) |
| Postal code | 70110 |
| Geocode | 7005 |
Ban Pong (Thai: บ้านโป่ง) is a district (Amphoe) of Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. It is located in the northeast of the province.
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Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Tha Muang and Tha Maka of Kanchanaburi Province, Kamphaeng Saen and Mueang Nakhon Pathom of Nakhon Pathom Province, and Photharam of Ratchaburi Province.
Banpong District is hilly in the west, while in the East there is Mea Klong River, running from Kanchanaburi through the city centre, connecting to the Gulf of Thailand.
During the construction of the Death Railway in World War II Ban Pong was the location of one of the POW camps.
The town had experienced two great fires which practically burnt down the whole town centre, one in 1936 and the other in 1954. After then the town was rebuilt in the square-grid design fashionable to the era, with a fountain to the South and a clock tower to the North.
Ban Pong is a railway hub, where the western railway leading to Kanchanaburi (and further to Nam Tok) splits from the southern railway leading to Singapore. Another branch connects with the town Suphanburi to the north.
As a result of high investment and fast economic development in the past decades, The town stands as one with the highest GDP per capita in Western Thailand, well above national average. It is also experiencing de-industrialisation of labour-incentive industries such as canning industry and sugar refinery which were mainly set up in 1960's - There is a large abandoned canning factory in Ban Pong town. The ruined buildings are partly covered with jungle creepers - However, the town is now experiencing a boom in more highly-skilled industries such as auto-parts, petro-chemical and food industries, with more than 70% of buses and coaches in Thailand manufactured by companies in Ban Pong.
West of the town Ban Pong itself is the temple Wat Muang, which is a local centre of the Mon community.
There is also a large Roman Catholic church building and a large Buddhist temple.
The district is subdivided into 15 subdistricts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 182 villages (muban). Ban Pong itself is a town (thesaban mueang) which covers the complete tambon Ban Phong. There are further five townships (thesaban tambon) including;
1.Tha Pha เทศบาลตำบลท่าผา covers the complete tambon Tha Pha and parts of Pak Raet,
2.Krachap เทศบาลตำบลกระจับ covers parts of Nong O and Don Krabueang,
3.Huai Krabok เทศบาลตำบลห้วยกระบอก covers parts of Krap Yai,
4.Krub Yai เทศบาลตำบลกรับใหญ่,
5. Berk Prai เทศบาลตำบลเบิกไพร,
and other 14 Tambon administrative organizations (TAO) are responsible for the non-municipal areas.
| Nr. | Name | Thai name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ban Pong | บ้านโป่ง | 9. | Nakhon Chum | นครชุมน์ | |||
| 2. | Tha Pha | ท่าผา | 10. | Ban Muang | บ้านม่วง | |||
| 3. | Krap Yai | กรับใหญ่ | 11. | Khung Phayom | คุ้งพยอม | |||
| 4. | Pak Raet | ปากแรต | 12. | Nong Pla Mo | หนองปลาหมอ | |||
| 5. | Nong Kop | หนองกบ | 13. | Khao Khlung | เขาขลุง | |||
| 6. | Nong O | หนองอ้อ | 14. | Boek Phrai | เบิกไพร | |||
| 7. | Don Krabueang | ดอนกระเบื้อง | 15. | Lat Bua Khao | ลาดบัวขาว | |||
| 8. | Suan Kluai | สวนกล้วย |
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