Pathum Thani (, ) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand.
Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise): Ayutthaya, Saraburi, Nakhon Nayok, Chachoengsao, Bangkok, and Nonthaburi.
The province is north of Bangkok and is part of the Bangkok metropolitan area.
In many places the boundary between the two provinces is not noticeable as both sides of the boundary are equally urbanized.
Pathum Thani town is the administrative seat, but Ban Rangsit, seat of Thanyaburi District, is the largest populated place in the province.
Pathum Thani is an old province, heavily populated by the Mon people, dotted with 186 temples and parks.
The Dream World amusement park is here.
Geography
The province lies on the low alluvial flats of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the capital.
Many canals (khlongs) cross the province and feed the rice paddies.
There is no forest area in the province.
History
Pathum Thani Province has been settled for at least 300 years since the reign of King Narai of Ayutthaya.
In 1659, Mang Nanthamit brought the Mon people from the town of Mottama.
Evacuating from the Burmese war, King Narai gave the Mon people a settlement at Ban Sam Khok.
Several years later, in the reign of King Rama II there was a great migration of Mon people from the town of Mottama to Thailand called "Mon Yai".
He made some of the Mon people to live in Ban Sam Khok as well.
From a small community Ban Sam Khok became a town Sam Khok later.
Later, on 23 August 1815, King Rama II changed the name of Sam Khok to the town of "Pratum Thani".
In 1918, King Rama VI ordered to use the word "province" instead of "town" and changed the spelling of the name from "Pratum Thani" to "Pathum Thani".
In 1932, in the reign of King Rama VII, he ordered to collapsed Thanyaburi province to come up with Pathum Thani.
Pathum Thani province has divided the rule into 7 districts as in the present.
Symbols
The provincial seal shows a pink lotus flower with two rice stalks bending over it, representing the fertility of the province.
The provincial tree is the Indian coral tree (Erythrina variegata).
The provincial flower is the lotus (Nymphaea lotus).
Education and technology
Pathum Thani has a very high concentration of higher education institutions, especially ones in the field of science and technology.
This, together with a large number of industrial parks and research facilities (including those in Thailand Science Park), make the region the educational and technology hub of the area.
; Academic institutes
National Science Museum, Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok University, Eastern Asia University,  North Bangkok University (Rangsit), Pathumthani University, Rajamangala University of Technology, Rangsit University, Shinawatra University, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University (Rangsit Center, and Valaya Alongkorn - Rajahbaht University).
; Research bodies
Thailand Science Park, National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), Thai Microelectronics Center (TMEC), Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), TOT Innovation Institute (TOT)
; Industrial parks
Software Park Thailand (in Nonthaburi, southwest of Pathum Thani), Nava Nakorn Industrial Promotion Zone (1376 acres / 5.6 km2), Bangkadi Industrial Park (470 acres / 1.9 km2), Techno Thani (a "Technology City" administered by the Ministry of Science and Technology), and a number of industrial parks in neighboring Ayutthaya and Nonthaburi Provinces
Administrative divisions
Provincial government
right|280px|thumb|Map of Pathum Thani province with districts right|280px|thumb|
The province is divided into seven districts (amphoes).
The districts are further subdivided into 60 communes (tambons) and 529 villages (mubans).
Local government
As of 29 September 2020 there are: one Pathum Thani Provincial Administrative Organization - PAO () and twenty-nine municipal (thesaban) areas in the province.
Rangsit has city (thesaban nakhon) status.
Further ten have town (thesaban mueang) status and eighteen subdistrict  municipalities (thesaban tambon).
The non-municipal areas are administered by 35 Subdistrict Administrative Organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), List of 5,324 SAO's information as of date 20 December 2019, 35 SAO's (no.2116-2151) were established in 1994 (1), in 1995 (19), in 1996 (10) and in 1997 (5).
Human achievement index 2017
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development.
National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.
References
External links
Pathum Thani; Tourist Authority of Thailand
