Tak Information guide
General Information
On traveling to Tak Province, expect to discover a place with long history,
where natural wonders are magnificently enhanced by ethnic diversity.
Mostly forested and mountainous, Tak is a northern province peacefully situated
on the Maenam Ping basin. The province covers an area of 16,406 square kilometers
and is 426 kilometers north of Bangkok. As Tak shares natural border with Myanmar,
it is highly regarded as a western gateway to Myanmar, and a northern doorway
to Thailand's major cities such as Lampang and Chiang Mai.
The Past
A province with a long history, Tak was earlier called Mueang Rahang. Historians
believe it was built prior to the Sukhothai era and was treated as the western
frontier of the Kingdom. Tak was also associated with Thailand's former Great
Kings, from King Ramkamhaeng the Great, King Naresuan the Great, King Narai
the Great to King Taksin the Great. These four Kings usually called their troop
assemblies in Tak. That is why the seal of the province depicts King Naresuan
the Great on the royal elephant, pouring sacred water on the ground. This is
a symbolic representation of the declaration of the independence of the Kingdom
of Ayutthaya during the war with Burma in 1584. Tak was considered the first
district to be liberated from the power of the Burmese Kingdom.
The Present
Today, Tak is no longer a strategic military frontier between two great nations.
It is however a trading gateway to Myanmar at Amphoe Mae Sot, where lots of
economic activities take place daily along the border. In addition, the province
has the Asian Highway that runs from Thailand's western border towards the northeastern
region at Chong Mek (Mae Sot Sukhothai Phitsanulok Ubon Ratchathani - Laos).
Apart from Tak's military and economic importance the province is also an environmental
and cultural center with magnificent forests, spectacular waterfalls and caves
and fascinating hill tribes such as Karen, Lisu, Musoe (Lahu), Akha, Yao and
Hmong.
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