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Nong Bua Lamphu (หนองบัวลำภู)

Thai. Provincial capital of a jangwat (map) of the same name, in Northeast Thailand, at 577 kms from Bangkok. The name derives from the words nong (หนอง), bua (บัว), lum (ลุ่ม) and phu (ภู), a reference to the region's geography, being a marshland (nong) with lotuses (bua), and with both low plains (lum) and mountains (phu). About 900 years ago this region was a stronghold of Krung Sri Satana Kanahut. During the existence of the Lan Chang kingdom it was traditionally ruled by the realm's crown princes. In 1574, the Thai King Somdet Phra Maha Dhammaracha (1569-1590) and his son, prince Naresuan, led a military expedition to invade Lan Chang, herewith backing the King of Hongsawadi in his fight against the city of Krung Sri Satana Kanahut. On the way, the young prince rested his troops in the area of Nong Bua Reservoir to prepare for the invasion, but fell ill from small pox and had to return to Ayutthaya. After its fall to the Burmese in 1569, the Siamese capital had become virtually defenseless and was constantly prone to the repetitive raids of the Khmer. Due to this, the Burmese had allowed their Siamese vassals to improve their army and increase its manpower, and thus, before returning, the prince gathered new troops in the area. Later, however, he would use these troops to fight the Pagan Burmese Kingdom of Toungoo. In 1759, a fortified camp with stone walls, complete with a watchtower, was built in the area of today's Thao Toh waterfall, by Phra Wo (พระวอ) and Phra Ta (พระตา), two legendary brothers, who served as high-ranking officials for Phra Chao Siri Boonsaan (สิริบุญสาร) of Vientiane. The place was then known as Nakhon Kheuan Khan Kaab Kaew Bua Ban (นครเขื่อนขันธ์กาบแก้วบัวบาน). In 1767, exploiting the moment when there were not too many soldiers present, the two brothers revolted against Siri Boonsaan, took some of his family members hostage and fled with their supporters to the fortified camp, which then became known as the Phra Wo-Phra Ta Camp. Shortly thereafter, Laotian troops raided the camp, but it took them more than 3 years to capture it, in which they only succeeded after receiving support form extra troops brought in from Chiang Mai. After this, the area remained uninhabited for many years. In 1827, Chao Anou of Vientiane designated a governor to the area, thus breaking with the tradition of royal rulers. In 1890, many local municipalities were reordered into one administrative district known as Meuang Lao Fai Neua (เมืองลาวฝ่ายเหนือ) or ‘Lao Cities of the North’. Consequently, the then governor of Nong Kai ordered Nakhon Kheuan Khan Kaab Kaew Bua Ban to be resettled, appointed a new ruler and changed the city's name into Meuang Kamutasai (เมืองกมุทธาสัย). In 1900, during the reign of King Rama V, the name of the northern district was changed from Monthon Fai Neua to Monthon Udon and with this reorganization, the name of Meuang Kamutasai was changed to Meuang Nong Bua Lamphu. In 1907 the city became a district of Udonthani. Though, Udonthani was a large province with a population of over a million and in 1993, in accordance with the federal government's decentralization policy, the province was separated into two provinces, and the districts of Sri Bun Reuang (ศรีบุญเรือง) and Suwanna Kuh Hah (สุวรรณคูหา) merged to form the new province of Nong Bua Lamphu, which today has a total of six amphur. See also Nong Bua Lamphu data file.