Udon Thani Travel Package Tours, Thailand Tour Information Hotel Guide

UDON THANI PROVINCE OVERVIEW

Geography	Demographics	Telephone
Capital: Udon Thani Location: North eastern Area: 11,730.3 km2	Population: 1,467,158 Density: 125/km2	Calling code
Town and Districts
Udon Thani, Kut Chap, Nong Wua So, Kumphawapi, Non Sa-at, Nong Han, Thung Fon, Chai Wan, Si That, Wang Sam Mo, Ban Dung, Ban Phue, Nam Som, Phen, Sang Khom, Nong Saeng, Na Yung, Phibun Rak, Ku Kaeo, rachaksinlapakhom

General Information

Udon Thani is one of the north-eastern provinces of Thailand. This province covering an area of 11,730 square kilometers, is a prime business center of I-San. Located 564 kilometers from Bangkok, it the world heritage site for the prehistoric culture of Ban Chiang. Udon Thani is probably best known for its archaeological wonders, paramount among them the hamlet of Ban Chiang where the world's first Bronze Age civilization is believed to have flourished more than 5,000 years ago.
Udon Thani borders Nong Khai to the north, Khon Kaen to the south, Sakon Nakhon to the east and Nongbualamphu and Loei to the west. The province is located on a plateau which is approximately 187 metres above sea level. Most of its areas are covered with rice fields, forests and hills, with the Phu Pan mountain ranges and the Songkhram River are the provinces 2 main natural resources.
The locals are mainly engaged in agricultural activities, with particular rising in wholesale and retail trading activities. That is why Udon Thani is an agricultural market hub or neighboring provinces.
Udon Thani's provincial seal depicts God Wetsuwan, King of the giants and keeper of the Northern Heavenly Gate.

History
The province is most famous for the archeological site Ban Chiang with its remains of the Bronze age, located in what is now a hamlet about 85 miles east of Udon. Udon is one of the more bustling markets for agricultural goods in the relatively dry northeast of Thailand, and received its biggest economic boost in the 1960s when the US built the Udon Royal Thai Air Force Base as a joint-force military base during the Vietnam War (the Mel Gibson film Air America refers to Udon and includes shots from the Udon military base).
The U.S. turned the base over to the Thai military in 1976, but there were three significant after effects of the base's US presence. First, a number of the natives in the area were paid well and learned English, which helped them become more marketable to the outside world (a significant percentage of the more educated group now work in the Middle East oilfields). Second, the base created ties, including a US Consulate in Udon which was closed in 1995, and a VFW (veterans of foreign wars) Post. Finally, the base and the consulate caused the city to be viewed as a regional hub, and this impression has continued.
In recent years the province has received international attention due to the discovery of a large potash deposit in the area and some anticipate that the region will become a major exporter of the mineral. Beginning the mining process of gaining licensure has been substantially delayed due to public opposition to the mine. Many of the villagers who live directly above the proposed mine site have expressed concern that the company and its Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA) have not adequately addressed concerns of salinization of groundwater and soil or land subsidence. Both would threaten the economic stability of local communities that rely primarily on income derived from rice farming.