| Takua Pa ตะกั่วป่า |
|
|---|---|
| — Amphoe — | |
| Amphoe location in Phang Nga Province | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Thailand |
| Province | Phang Nga |
| Seat | Takua Pa |
| Area | |
| • Total | 599.4 km2 (231.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2008) | |
| • Total | 41,240 |
| • Density | 72.5/km2 (187.8/sq mi) |
| Time zone | THA (UTC+7) |
| Postal code | 82110 |
| Geocode | 8205 |
Takua Pa (Thai: ตะกั่วป่า (Pronunciation)) is a district (amphoe) in the province Phang Nga in the south of Thailand.
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The district is located at the coast to the Andaman Sea. To the north of the district is the Si Phang-nga National Park. The southern part of the district is covered by the Khao Lak-Lam Ru National Park, which includes the popular beach resort of Khao Lak, devastated by the tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
Neighboring districts are Khura Buri to the north, Phanom of Surat Thani Province and Kapong to the east, and Thai Mueang to the south.
Originally named Takola (Thai:ตะโกลา), the town was one of the historic city states (mueang) dating back to Srivijaya times in the 13th century. It was also known as Takkolam (Tamil: தக்கொலம்) which is the Tamil word for “piper cuveba’ and “calyptranthes jambalana. There is also a place in the Tamil country which up to now carries the same name Takkolam. Takuapa could have been either abounded by the spices “calyptranthese jambalana” and “piper cubeba” or it could have been occupied by settlers from the Takkolam of the Tamil country, or both.[1] Takuapa is said to have been the finest harbor on the west coast of the peninsula for trade between the Malay kingdom of Sri Vijaya and the early South Indian Tamil kingdoms of the Cholas and Pallavas during different times in history. It was later renamed to Takua Pa due to the rich ores near the town - Takua is the Thai word for lead, even though tin was the most important ore found there.
There was a Hindu/Vishnu temple in the 8th century AD. An important mercantile organisation called 'Kodumbalur Manigramam', built a water tank for this temple. They have left an inscription in Tamil. The tank was called 'Avani Naaranam' - 'Avani Naaranan' was the name of one of the Pallava Emperors of Tamil Nadu.
The town was long administrated by Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1892 it was converted to a province, administered within the Monthon Phuket. This province was merged into Phang Nga province on April 1 1932.[2] The district Talad Yai (big market, ตลาดใหญ่) was then renamed to Takua Pa.[3]
The district was an important tin-dredging area in the first half of the twentieth century, with the English company Siamese Tin Syndicate Ltd., and the Australian company Satupulo No Liability Co. both operating dredges in the rivers, with narrow-gauge tramways following them upstream. The Asiatic Company also had a dredge and tramway further inland at Amphoe Kapong. Siamese Tin was operating here at least as late as 1967, but Thai magnates, such as the late Chuti Bunsung, took over operations by the early 1980s. By 2008 there was no sign left of the mining, as plantations, particularly rubber, have covered the former dredged areas. The public library at Takua Pa town has photographs on display of the dredging and sluicing operations in their heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. The former Asiatic Company workshops can also still be seen in Amphoe Kapong town.
The centre for the identification of bodies found after the 2004 tsunami is located in the district. Opposite the identification centre is the cemetery where all unidentified foreign bodies have been buried. Laid out somewhat like the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Kanchanaburi, in late 2008 the cemetery was overgrown and run down, and inhabited by wild dogs.
The district Takua Pa is subdivided into 8 subdistricts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 51 villages (muban). Takua Pa itself has town (thesaban mueang) status and covers the complete tambon Takua Pa. There are 6 Tambon administrative organizations (TAO) - tambon Takua Pa is administrated by the town council, and Tam Tua by a neighboring TAO Bang Sai.
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