Phanat Nikhom (, ) is a district (amphoe) in the northern part of Chonburi province, eastern Thailand.
History Phanat Nikhom is an ancient city dating back to Dvaravati period, called Mueang Phra Rot. Archaeologists found a fortress and city walls within the district area. Patcharaporn Ngernkerd and colleagues make Mueang Phra Rot one of four central towns in a survey of fifteen moated sites of eastern Thailand, measuring 1.19 km² within its moat and rectangular with rounded corners in plan. They place it on a former shoreline of the Gulf of Thailand, occupied since at least the sixth century, and record a late Dvaravati stupa outside the moats and a vanaspati. On their reading the town seems to have been under the rule of Si Mahosot in Prachin Buri, a larger moated town of the same group. In the Rattanakosin era, King Nangklao, Rama III established city, called Mueang Phanat Nikhom in 1828. It was changed to be a district of Mueang Chon Buri by King Chulalongkorn, Rama V in 1904. Phanat Nikhom was divided into new five districts: Phan Thong, Nong Yai, Bo Thong, Ko Chan and Nong Irun, Nong Chak, Nong Bon Daeng sub-district in Ban Bueng.
In Mon Nang sub-district, there is a shrine to the Twelve Sisters with the rock they used as pillow when they wandered in the wilderness, as well as a Carissa carandas tree related to the legend.
Geography Neighboring districts are (from east clockwise), Ko Chan, Bo Thong, Ban Bueng, Phan Thong of Chonburi Province, Ban Pho and Plaeng Yao of Chachoengsao province).
Administration The district is divided into 20 sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 185 villages (mubans). The town (thesaban mueang) Phanat Nikhom covers the whole tambon Phanat Nikhom. Each of the other 19 tambons is led by a tambon administrative organization (TAO). No. Name Thai Pop.1.Phanat Nikhomพนัสนิคม11,9122.Na Phrathatหน้าพระธาตุ4,8403.Wat Luangวัดหลวง2,7814.Ban Soetบ้านเซิด3,3695.Na Roekนาเริก8,8216.Mon Nangหมอนนาง13,6147.Sa Si Liamสระสี่เหลี่ยม6,7728.Wat Botวัดโบสถ์3,0549.Kut Ngongกุฎโง้ง5,28310.Hua Thanonหัวถนน4,89011.Tha Khamท่าข้าม2,88213.Nong Prueหนองปรือ5,23214.Nong Khayatหนองขยาด4,02815.Thung Khwangทุ่งขวาง4,15816.Nong Hiangหนองเหียง12,92417.Na Wang Hinนาวังหิน7,04718.Ban Changบ้านช้าง5,93620.Khok Phloโคกเพลาะ2,74621.Rai Lak Thongไร่หลักทอง3,38622.Na Matumนามะตูม2,764 Missing numbers are tambon which now form Ko Chan District.
References
External links amphoe.com