Pua District

Pua
ปัว
Amphoe

Amphoe location in Nan Province
Coordinates: 19°10′27″N 100°55′0″E / 19.17417°N 100.91667°E / 19.17417; 100.91667Coordinates: 19°10′27″N 100°55′0″E / 19.17417°N 100.91667°E / 19.17417; 100.91667
Country  Thailand
Province Nan
Government
 • Marshal Kamthorn Su-Arun
Area
 • Total 657.363 km2 (253.809 sq mi)
Population (2015)
 • Total 64,813
 • Density 99/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone ICT (UTC+7)
Postal code 55120
Geocode 5505

Pua (Thai: ปัว, pronounced [pūa̯]) is a district (amphoe) in the central part of Nan Province, northern Thailand.

Geography

Neighboring districts are, from the north clockwise, Chiang Klang, Thung Chang, Chaloem Phra Kiat, Bo Kluea, Santi Suk, and Tha Wang Pha.

Doi Phu Kha National Park is Thailand's largest national park, covering several districts of Nan Province. The national park office as well as the 1,980 m high Doi Phu Kha in the Luang Prabang Range itself are within Pua District.[1]

Paddy fields in Pua District during the rice harvest, with the forested hills and mountains of Doi Phu Kha National Park in the background

Administration

Central administration

The district Pua is subdivided into 12 subdistricts (Tambon), which are further subdivided into 107 administrative villages (Muban).

No. Name Thai Villages Pop.[2]
1.Puaปัว87,302
2.Ngaengแงง74,843
3.Sathanสถาน136,074
4.Sila Laengศิลาแลง83,968
5.Sila Phetศิลาเพชร104,567
6.Uanอวน114,990
9.Chai Watthanaไชยวัฒนา84,232
10.Chedi Chaiเจดีย์ชัย96,908
11.Phu Khaภูคา144,902
12.Sakatสกาด42,903
13.Pa Klangป่ากลาง78,300
14.Wora Nakhonวรนคร85,824

Missing numbers belong to tambon which are now part of Bo Kluea district.

Local administration

There are 2 subdistrict municipalities (Thesaban Tambon) in the district:

There are 10 subdistrict administrative organizations (SAO) in the district:

Economy

Pua District is heavily agricultural. It is a significant maize-growing area. Farmer's zeal to clear more land for maize cultivation has led to deforestation of vast tracts of hillsides, resulting in "bald mountains" (Thai: เขา้หัวล้าน; rtgs: khao hua lan). A by-product of the land clearing is smoke from field burning, contributing to the northern region's significant air pollution. Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, Thailand's largest agro-industrial and food conglomerate, and the leading purchaser of Pua District maize, in March 2016 announced an "agricultural social enterprise" to steer district villagers away from maize farming. CP Group has incurred criticism for the way it purchases maize harvests for animal feed from farmers in Nan and other provinces. Suphachai Chearavanont, vice-chairman of CP Group, said that corn planters will be encouraged to grow cash crops such as coffee, which requires less farmland and makes a higher profit than maize. Not only will this address the bald-mountain problem, he said, but it will also help reduce the spring haze in the north which is caused by slash-and-burn practices to prepare land for the next maize season. Mr Suphachai said crops like coffee take about three-and-a-half years to show a yield, but stated that CP Group would stand by farmers and provide assistance in the meantime.[3]

References

  1. ↑ ดร.กระมล ทองธรรมชาติ และคณะ, สังคมศึกษา ศาสนาและวัฒนธรรม ม.1, สำนักพิมพ์ อักษรเจริญทัศน์ อจท. จำกัด, 2548, หน้า 24-25
  2. ↑ "Population statistics 2015" (in Thai). Department of Provincial Administration. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  3. ↑ Charoensuthipan, Penchan (2016-03-28). "CP stung by bald mountain accusations". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
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