Mukdahan
| Mukdahan | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 | |
  Mukdahan | |
| Coordinates: 16°32′35″N 104°43′22″E / 16.54306°N 104.72278°E | |
| Country |
 Thailand |
| Provinces | Mukdahan Province |
| Amphoe | Amphoe Mueang Mukdahan |
| Elevation | 140 m (460 ft) |
| Population (2000) | 100,000[citation needed] |
| Time zone | UTC+7 (UTC+7) |
Mukdahan (Thai: มุกดาหาร) is a town (thesaban mueang) and capital of Mukdahan province, which became Thailand's 73d province in 1982. Located in the northern region of the country, on the right (western) bank of the river Mekong, it was formerly a district of Nakhon Phanom Province. The population of the city was 100,000[citation needed] in the year 2000.
Etymology
The city was established at the mouth of Muk Creek (Thai: ห้วยมุก) and named Mukdahan from Kaeo Mukdahan, derived from the following:
- Kaeo แก้ว noun or adjective: glass other than sheet glass; a glass, a tumbler; gem-like, precious, exquisite.
- Muk มุก noun: Mother-of pearl; nacre.
- Da ดา verb intransitive: to advance along a wide front
- Han หาร verb intransitive or transitive: to divide; to be divided.
History
Prehistoric paintings and other archaeological discoveries show that the area of Mukdahan was the location of ancient communities. The modern history of the city begins late in the Ayutthaya Era (1350-1767). In the years of 1767 to 1770, Prince Kinnari, son of Prince Suriwong, ruler in Ban Luang Phonsim of Savannakhét, established a settlement at the mouth of Muk Creek, across the Mekong from Savannakhét. In the reign of King Taksin, 1768–1782, Prince Kinnari received appointment as Phraya Chandara Sri Surat with a rank equivalent to viceroy. In 1893, Savannakhét District of Mukdahan was ceded to France.[1]
Climate
Mukdahan has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). Winters are dry and very warm. Temperatures rise until April, which is hot with the average daily maximum at 35.2 °C (95.4 °F). The monsoon season runs from late April through early October, with very heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm.
| Climate data for Mukdahan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 36.3 (97.3) |
38.7 (101.7) |
40.6 (105.1) |
41.2 (106.2) |
41.1 (106) |
40.0 (104) |
36.2 (97.2) |
35.4 (95.7) |
35.3 (95.5) |
35.0 (95) |
34.8 (94.6) |
35.0 (95) |
41.2 (106.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) |
31.4 (88.5) |
34.1 (93.4) |
35.2 (95.4) |
33.8 (92.8) |
32.1 (89.8) |
31.8 (89.2) |
31.1 (88) |
31.1 (88) |
30.8 (87.4) |
29.4 (84.9) |
28.1 (82.6) |
31.49 (88.68) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
24.8 (76.6) |
27.9 (82.2) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28.9 (84) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.2 (81) |
27.2 (81) |
26.4 (79.5) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.1 (71.8) |
26.4 (79.52) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 15.0 (59) |
17.9 (64.2) |
21.3 (70.3) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.3 (75.7) |
24.1 (75.4) |
23.6 (74.5) |
21.9 (71.4) |
19.0 (66.2) |
15.5 (59.9) |
21.28 (70.28) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 3.2 (37.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
10.1 (50.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
19.3 (66.7) |
18.8 (65.8) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.9 (69.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
9.4 (48.9) |
5.3 (41.5) |
3.2 (37.8) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 3 (0.12) |
15 (0.59) |
30 (1.18) |
87 (3.43) |
182 (7.17) |
290 (11.42) |
226 (8.9) |
343 (13.5) |
255 (10.04) |
93 (3.66) |
9 (0.35) |
1 (0.04) |
1,534 (60.4) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 98 |
| Source: NOAA (1961-1990)[2] | |||||||||||||
Second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge
The Second Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong to Savannakhet, Laos was completed in December 2006.
Ho Kaeo Mukdahan
- 1st Floor—Arts & Culture Museum
- 2nd Floor—History & Culture of 8 ethnic tribes of Mukdahan
- 3rd-5th Floors—Pillar of the tower
- 6th Floor—360° Observation deck
- 7th Floor—A silver Buddha image in the meditation position called Phra Buddhanavamingmongkol (Thai: พระพุทธนวมิ่งมงคลดาหาร), and the Buddha image for each day of the week
References
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mukdahan. |
- ↑ Ho Kaeo Mukdahan Museum Brochure
- ↑ "Climate Normals for Mukdahan". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
Coordinates: 16°32′35″N 104°43′22″E / 16.54306°N 104.72278°E