Amnat Charoen (อำนาจเจริญ)

Thai. ‘Power of prosperity’. Name of a small city and a 3,161 km² province (map) in Isaan, near the Mae Khong river, adjacent to Laos and around 585 kms northeast of Bangkok. The province borders Mukdahan in the North, Salavan province of the Democratic Republic of Laos in the East (across the Mae Khong river), Ubon Ratchathani in the South and Yasothon in the West. It once was administered from Nakhon Khemarat, and later it was an amphur of the province of Ubon Ratchathani, but gained the status of a province in 1993. Amongst its places of interest are a natural rock formation resembling a nagaraja and the Uthayahn Buddha image. The province has many ‘takhian hin’ trees of the genus Hopea and its important rivers are the Mae Khong and the Huay Sebok. Its main trade include paddy and truck farming, breeding of livestock, fishing, silk production and weaving. The local people celebrate their seasonal festivals according to the Hit Sip Song Khong Sip Sih principle, a general name for all kinds of annually recurring events in which they mainly perform acts of tamboon, such as the kathin ceremony, the rocket festival, the baked rice balls festival, Loi Krathong festival, etc. The province has six amphur and one king amphur. Also spelt Amnat Charun and pronunciation Amnaat Chareun. See also Amnat Charoen data file. 回