|
 Sakon
Nakhon is the town of the sacred Phra That Choeng Chum and the vast Nong
Han Lake. The Phu Thai tribe people living around the town offer an interesting
study in ancient customs and traditions, such as the "Wax Castle" festival
in October when castles fashioned from wax are celebrated. Sakon Nakhon
is 647 kilometers from Bangkok. Places of Interest: The Phra That Choeng
Chum a major and sacred religious monument of Sakon Nakhon, is enshrined
at Wat Phra That Choeng Chum in town. Of rectangular shape, it is made
of mortar and bricks with a height of 24 meters. Another religious structure
is the Phra That Narai Cheng Weng. It is located at the Ban That village
about five kilometers from town center. It is of Khom-style pagoda, made
of laterite, and 12 meters high. The 32-sq.km. Nong Han Lake in Sakon
Nakhon is a popular place of relaxation. Its offshore isles, particularly
the Don Sawan, are both beautiful and restful and can be easily reached
by hired boats. The Nam Phung Dam at Amphoe Kut Bak is a multi-purpose
dam. 1,720-meter long and 40-meter high, it dams up a huge lake with a
surface area of about 6,000 acres. Wat Pa Suthavat opposite the Town Hall,
is where the paraphernalia and remains of the highly respected late Phra
Achan Man Bhuritatto are kept. Wat Pa Udom Somphon three kilometers off
from Highway No. 22 at Km. 123, is where another extremely venerated Achan
used to reside.
|
| General
Information |
| Area
sq km |
9,606
|
|
|
Anual
rainfall mm (2002) |
1,889
|
| Forest
Land (1999) |
1,350
|
14.1 %
|
Days
of rain (2002) |
150
|
| Farm
Land (1999) |
4,663
|
48.5 %
|
Mean
Temperature High/Low (2002) |
31.9
/
22.3
|
| Unclassified
Land (1999) |
3,593
|
37.4 %
|
BOI
Zone |
3
|
| Population
/ sq. km (2003) |
115
|
|
Gross
provincial product rank (2001) |
43
|
|
|
| Population |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
| Male |
49.9 %
|
49.9 %
|
49.9 %
|
50.0 %
|
50.0 %
|
50.0 %
|
49.9 %
|
49.9 %
|
| Female |
50.1 %
|
50.1 %
|
50.1 %
|
50.0 %
|
50.0 %
|
50.0 %
|
50.1 %
|
50.1 %
|
| Total |
1,113,720
|
1,107,752
|
1,101,608
|
1,097,625
|
1,094,615
|
1,090,190
|
1,077,208
|
1,067,868
|
|
|
| Household
income (baht) |
2002 |
2000 |
1998 |
1996 |
1994 |
| Average
monthly income |
10,227
|
7,751
|
7,660
|
7,746
|
5,541
|
| Average
monthly expenditures |
8,998
|
6,019
|
6,721
|
6,143
|
6,071
|
| Voluntary
reserves |
12.0 %
|
22.3 %
|
12.3 %
|
20.7 %
|
-
|
| Monthly
income / Person |
2,556
|
1,890
|
1,868
|
1,936
|
1,288
|
| Average
household size |
4.0
|
4.1
|
4.1
|
4.0
|
4.3
|
|
|
| Gross
provincial product |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
1995 |
1994 |
| Agriculture |
18.3 %
|
20.2 %
|
21.8 %
|
24.1 %
|
21.3 %
|
21.3 %
|
21.7 %
|
21.9 %
|
| Manufacturing |
5.3 %
|
4.8 %
|
4.1 %
|
3.9 %
|
3.9 %
|
4.1 %
|
5.0 %
|
5.2 %
|
| Construction |
4.2 %
|
5.6 %
|
6.0 %
|
5.5 %
|
10.7 %
|
15.5 %
|
11.7 %
|
10.2 %
|
| Transport
& communication |
6.1 %
|
4.9 %
|
4.9 %
|
5.0 %
|
5.0 %
|
5.4 %
|
5.0 %
|
5.1 %
|
| Wholesale
& retail trade |
23.6 %
|
23.8 %
|
23.1 %
|
22.6 %
|
23.8 %
|
21.4 %
|
23.3 %
|
23.9 %
|
| Services |
21.0 %
|
20.1 %
|
19.2 %
|
18.3 %
|
16.2 %
|
14.0 %
|
14.3 %
|
14.6 %
|
| Others |
21.5 %
|
20.6 %
|
20.9 %
|
20.6 %
|
19.1 %
|
18.3 %
|
19.0 %
|
19.1 %
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total
(million baht) |
23,114
|
23,497
|
22,911
|
22,525
|
23,084
|
23,780
|
20,951
|
18,049
|
| GPP
per capita (baht) |
20,982
|
21,407
|
20,930
|
20,661
|
21,429
|
22,268
|
19,614
|
18,575
|
|
|
| Commercial
bank |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
| No.
of offices |
23
|
22
|
20
|
22
|
20
|
20
|
19
|
18
|
| Deposits
(million baht) |
9,899
|
9,627
|
9,448
|
8,380
|
8,709
|
8,709
|
8,494
|
8,042
|
| Loans
(million baht) |
7,813
|
7,222
|
6,336
|
8,547
|
9,097
|
9,097
|
9,885
|
9,917
|
| Deposits
/ capita (baht) |
9,018
|
8,794
|
8,666
|
7,779
|
8,155
|
8,153
|
8,741
|
7,759
|
| Loans/deposits
ratio |
78.9 %
|
75.0 %
|
67.1 %
|
102.0 %
|
104.5 %
|
104.5 %
|
116.4 %
|
123.3 %
|
|
|
| Public
health |
2001 |
2000 |
1999 |
1998 |
1997 |
1996 |
1995 |
1994 |
1993 |
| No.
of hospitals |
20
|
21
|
21
|
21
|
20
|
20
|
20
|
21
|
19
|
| No.
of hospital beds |
1,368
|
1,490
|
1,422
|
1,452
|
1,304
|
1,253
|
1,202
|
1,046
|
936
|
| Avg.
Beds / Hospital |
68
|
70
|
67
|
69
|
65
|
62
|
60
|
49
|
49
|
| Capita
/ Hospital bed |
805
|
736
|
769
|
750
|
826
|
852
|
888
|
928
|
1,107
|
| No.
of physicians |
102
|
107
|
105
|
123
|
81
|
76
|
71
|
71
|
76
|
| Capita
/ Physician |
10,800
|
10,258
|
10,424
|
8,863
|
13,298
|
14,050
|
15,044
|
13,685
|
13,636
|
|
No. of dentists |
30
|
35
|
29
|
27
|
21
|
20
|
19
|
21
|
17
|
|
Capita / Dentist |
36,720
|
31,360
|
37,745
|
40,377
|
51,295
|
53,393
|
56,218
|
46,269
|
60,965
|
| No.
of nurses |
649
|
626
|
591
|
528
|
484
|
439
|
394
|
386
|
328
|
|
|
| Education |
2002 |
2000 |
1998 |
1996 |
1994 |
1993 |
| No.
of teachers |
-
|
10,235
|
10,204
|
9,882
|
9,684
|
9,311
|
| No.
of students |
-
|
207,963
|
210,080
|
207,037
|
199,063
|
202,789
|
| No.
of schools |
-
|
706
|
702
|
696
|
690
|
682
|
| No.
of classrooms |
-
|
8,069
|
8,000
|
7,931
|
7,307
|
7,164
|
| Ratio
: students / teacher |
-
|
20.3
|
20.6
|
21.0
|
20.6
|
21.8
|
| Ratio
: students / classroom |
-
|
25.8
|
26.3
|
26.1
|
27.2
|
28.3
|
|
|
| |
|
