Phitsanulok

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Phitsanulok พิษณุโลก Song Khwae • สองแคว
City Municipality
Phitsanulok city เทศบาลนครพิษณุโลก
Clockwise from top: The route 12, Chan Royal Palace Historical Center, Wat Aranyik, Rama I Equestrian Statue, Phitsanulok Clock Tower, Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat
UTC+7:00 (ICT)
Postal code	65000
Calling code	(+66) 55
Geocode	650101
Chief roadway	Route 12
Chief watercourse	Nan River
Chief airport	Phitsanulok Airport
Website	www.phsmun.go.th

Phitsanulok (

. The city is one of the centre of Thailand's tourism industry, and it is a historic city in the country.

Toponymy

• Song Khwae: The first element, song, means the number 'two'. The second element, khwae, means 'tributary', hence 'two rivers'.
• Phitsanulok: The first element, Phitsanu (Thai: พิษณุ;
  Sanskrit
  : loka लोक 'world') means 'globe' or 'world'. A loose translation of the entire name would be 'Vishnu's heaven'.

History

Phitsanulok is one of the oldest

Phitsanulok was originally named "Song Khwae" (lit. "Two Rivers") as it used to situate between the

.

During the

invaded

Phitsanulok in 1563, King Thammaracha of Phitsanulok submitted to the Burmese.

King

) as Chao Phraya Surasi the governor of Phitsanulok.

The Burmese General

to re-populate Phitsanulok and surrounding cities. Phitsanulok slowly recovered to be an urban center.

As a part of reforms of King Chulalongkorn, Phitsanulok became the administrative seat of the

Phitsanulok Province

.

• The Phitsanulok fire of 1957 destroyed much of the older portion of the city, which at the time consisted mostly of wooden buildings.
• On 28 November 1961, the King Naresuan Shrine was completed at Chandra Palace.
• On 25 January 1967, the Phitsanulok campus of what is now Naresuan University was established as the northern branch of the degree level College of Education. In 1974, the College of Education was upgraded as Srinakharinwirot University, with Phitsanulok as one of the six campuses. In 1990, the regional campuses became independent universities, and the Phitsanuloke campus was named after Phitsanulok-born King Naresuan the Great.
• Naresuan Dam was constructed from 1976 to 1985 on the Nan River as part of the Phitsanulok Irrigation Project.^[6] The dam was designed to help prevent flooding of the city.
• On 8 March 1999 Phitsanulok was upgraded to city municipality (thesaban nakhon).^[7]

Symbols

• (photo left) From left to right: three figures symbolize Wat Yai: Phra Attharot, a 9 meter high standing Buddha image, the 36 meter high prang and the entrance gate of
  Vihara Luang, which enshrines Buddha Chinnarat; a nature park with a waterfall; for houseboats
  on the Nan river; King Naresuan riding his war elephant; hat-shaped tower.
• (photo right) above: Seal of Phitsanulok City depicts King Naresuan, shown riding his war elephant (yellow), bottom: Phitsanulok City (Thai:
  thesaban nakhon
  Phitsanulok) (green).

Geography

Location

Phitsanulok is in the north of Thailand. Phitsanulok is about 377 kilometres north of Bangkok by road. Phitsanulok covers some 10,815 square kilometres, or 6.4% of area in the north of Thailand and 2.1% of the area of Thailand. Phitsanulok borders on the north and the north-east of Thailand. The north is adjacent to

and Sukhothai. Phitsanulok has many waterfalls, forests and caves. In the north is central area. In the north-west is a highland. It's the important recreational area such as Kaeng Sopha waterfall, Phu Hin Rong Kla and Phu Soi Dow. In the south plains along the Yom River and the Nan River is the most important agricultural district of Phitsanulok.

Topography

Phitsanulok lies primarily on flatland with some hills.

flows through Phitsanulok.

Climate

Phitsanulok has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). Winters are dry and very warm. Temperatures rise until April, which is very hot with the average daily maximum at 37.4 °C (99.3 °F). The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm.

Administration

The administration of Phitsanulok City Municipality is responsible for an area that covers approximately 18.26 km² (7.05 sq mi) and consists of only tambon Nai Mueang with 62,584 people and 37,507 households.^[1]

According to Municipal Act B.E. 2496 (1953, reviewed in 2003), the duties of the municipality include: clean water supply, waste and sewage disposal, communicable disease control, public training and education, public hospitals and electricity. The mayor, or the highest executive, is directly elected by the eligible voters in the municipal area. The mayor serves a four-year term and is assisted by no more than four deputy mayors appointed directly by the mayor. The Municipal Council is the legislative body of the municipality. It has the power to issue ordinances by laws, that do not contradict the laws of the country. The municipal council's jurisdiction applies to all people living in the municipal area.
There are a total of 64 communities (

Demographics

Ethnic diversity

The majority ethnicity in the city is Thai. Others in the city consider themselves of Mon descent.

Language

The majority of residents of Phitsanulok speak

.

Religion

The people of Phitsanulok are predominantly Theravada Buddhists (as are 95% of the Thai population as a whole), with a small Christian community and a few Muslim families.

Education

Educational institutions

.

Vocational institutions

There are three vocational colleges in the city:

• Phitsanulok Technical College.[1]
• Phitsanulok Vocational College.[2]
• Songkwae Technical College

Secondary (Mathayom) institutions

Phitsanulok City is home to three secondary institutions:

• Chalermkwansatree school.[3] Archived 11 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Janokrong school.[4] Archived 26 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine
• Puttha Chinnarat Pitthaya school.[5]

Healthcare

There is one government hospital in Phitsanulok City: Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital with 1,000 beds.
There are also five private hospitals with 400 beds total:

• Bangkok Hospital Phitsanulok [6] Archived 4 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Phitsanulok Hospital [7] Archived 27 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Pitsanuvej Hospital [8]
• Ruamphaet Hospital
• Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Hospital

Infrastructure

Airport

Close to the city center (Aranyik), Phitsanulok Airport receives up to six flights a day from Bangkok (flight time approximately 60 minutes), which are operated by three airlines: Nok Air, Thai Air Asia and Thai Lion Air.

Roads

Road 126, a multi-lane by-pass enables through-traffic to avoid the city of Phitsanulok, and connects to

in the west.

Buses

Phitsanulok Railway Station

Phitsanulok Terminal 1 (Saen Phon Phai) and Terminal 2 (Samo Khae) provide the mass transport throughout Phitsanulok Province by some eight bus companies. Four minibus lines provide transportation around the city. Yanyon tour operates its own private bus station (Sua Thim) with only a busline to Bangkok.

Railway

In the city center, Phitsanulok railway station mainly receives intercity trains on the Northern Line, operated by State Railway of Thailand, more than a dozen trains running in each direction each day.

Media

The main channels for communication in the city are television and radio. The following public television and radio stations^[14] are broadcast from Phitsanulok:

• Sathaanii Witthayu Krajaisiang Thahaan Aakaat (Air Force Radio Station), 954 AM and 95.75, in the City of Phitsanulok
• Witthayu Kong Phon Thahaan Raap Thii Sii (4th Infantry Division), 1377 AM, at Fort Somdet Phra Naresuan Maharat
• Sathaanii Witthayu Phitaksantiraat (Communications Division, Royal Thai Police), 1422 AM, in Phitsanulok City
• ARMY-5 (television channel 5, owned and operated by the Royal Thai Army)^[15]
• PRD-11 (television channel 11, owned and operated by the Government Public Relations Department)^[15]

Royal Thai Army

Phitsanulok is home to the Third Army Region of the Royal Thai Army, responsible for the northern and north-western parts of the kingdom.

Temples

Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat

Phitsanulok's main tourist attraction is Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat, known locally simply as Wat Yai (

of Ayutthaya. The Buddha Chinnarat National Museum, on the temple grounds, houses a sizeable collection of Sukhothai period art.

Other temples

The city is also home to the following temples where

is practiced by city residents (from north clockwise):

• Wat Tammachak (Thai: วัดธรรมจักร)
• Wat Chedi Yod Thong (Thai
  : วัดเจดีย์ยอดทอง)
• Wat Aranyik (Thai: วัดอรัญญิก)
• Wat Nang Phaya (Thai
  : วัดนางพญา), not a temple but a monastery
• Wat Ratcha Burana (Thai: วัดราชบูรณะ)
• Wat Mai Opai Yaram (Thai: วัดใหม่อภัยาราม)
• Wat Si Wisut Tharam (Thai: วัดศรีวิสุทธาราม)
• Wat Nong Bua Mai (Thai: วัดหนองบัวหม่อ)
• Wat Tha Maprang (Thai: วัดท่ามะปราง)
• Wat Sa Kaew Phatum Thong (Thai: วัดสระแก้วปทุมทอง)
• Wat Chan Tawan Ook (Thai: วัดจันทร์ตะวันออก)
• Wat Chan Tawan Tok (Thai: วัดจันทร์ตะวันตก)
• Wat Phan Pee (Thai: วัดพันปี)
• Wat Kuha Sawan (Thai: วัดคูหาสวรรค์)

Sports

Dragon boat racing has historically been an important element of Phitsanulok culture. In recent times, football (soccer) has become increasingly popular. In 2005, Phitsanulok won the 2nd Northern Youth Football Championship in the U12 and U15 age groups.^[16]

Traditional

is also a major sport in the city.

Culture

Art

Phitsanulok is home to a number of historic sculptures of the Buddha and other religious artwork including the

.

Literature

Examples of important literary works of Phitsanulok include:

• Lilit Yuan Pai (Thai:
  Lanna
  )
• Lilit Prá Lô (Thai: ลิลิตพระลอ, English: Tale of the Hero Lô)
• Klohng Táwâatsàmàat (Thai: โคลงทวาทศมาส, English: Poem of the Twelve Months)
• Gam Sŏn Sĕe Bpràat (Thai: กำศรวลศรีปราชญ์, English: The Legendary Wise Archer's Grip)

The predominant literary language (as well as the predominant spoken language) is the central Thai dialect of the

.

Other attractions

• Buranathai Buddha Foundry: Specializes in casting bronze Buddha images.
  Phra Buddha Chinnarat
  Buddha image. Visitors are permitted to walk along the production line.
• Sergeant-Major Dr. Thawee Buranakhet Folklore Museum: Hosts a collection of folk arts, crafts, basketry, pottery and ancient kitchen utensils.^[18] The museum also houses a collection of antique traps for catching snakes, birds, tigers and porcupines.
• City walls: Most of the older portions of Phitsanulok were destroyed in a 1955 fire. Thus little else remains of the old town besides the famous temple, an ancient chedi across the road from it, and a small section of the city wall. The intact portion of the ancient city wall is accessible to visitors.^[18]
• Night Market: Each evening, vendors gather to form Phitsanulok's night market. Items sold include clothing and food, usually at reduced prices.
• Chan Palace was the birthplace of King Naresuan
  the Great, and contains a shrine to him.
• Naresuan University Art and Culture Gallery: The gallery holds over 100 artistic artworks of culturally significant Thai artists.
• Nan River Houseboats: Phitsanulok is known throughout Thailand for the
  houseboats which still line the Nan River near Wat Phra Sri Rattana Maharat, though in recent years these are becoming fewer.^[18]
  A houseboat museum is open to visitors.

Festivals and events

• Phra Buddha Chinnarat Fair: Held each January at
  Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan
  .
• Suan Chom Nan Park Festival: Held twice a year along the Nan River. Food and local products are on sale.
• Dragon Boat Races: On the first weekend of each October, dragon boat races are held outside
  Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahatat Woramahawihan in the Nan River
  . Each dragon boat has a crew of approximately 30 oarsmen.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Phitsanulok.

• Official website
• Phitsanulok travel guide from Wikivoyage