Phang-na Provincial Hall—Phang-na, Thailand.
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Ianatlarge
N 08° 26.382 E 098° 31.122
47P E 447018 N 932940
The provincial hall of the southern Thai province of Phang-na.
Waymark Code: WMCVXX
Location: Thailand
Date Posted: 10/16/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member SCOTUS
Views: 3

The Kingdom of Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, governed by a democratically elected government. The second level of government, below the national, is the provincial. There are 76 provinces in the Kingdom, plus the special administrative area of Bangkok, and the City of Pattaya, which is an autonomous region in the province of Chonburi. These last two have the privilege of electing their own governors, but the remaining provinces are governed by officials appointed by the national Ministry of the Interior. Every Thai province shares the name of its capital.

These officials enjoy the title of governor. Their duties are to carry out the laws of the land and implement the policy of the central government. There is no separate provincial legislature. Generally speaking, these positions go to senior, experienced bureaucrats. A powerful, but not glamorous position.

The governor's office is known in English as the Provincial Hall, in Thai: Sala Klang Changwat. This is invariably a multi-story, white, rectangular building, in the 'Thai' style. In front, a parking area, a statue of King Chulalongkorn (the fifth King of the royal dynasty, who was responsible for the modern Thai administrative structure), and a flag pole with the Thai flag flying. These provincial halls are usually located in a government sector, near the centre of the capital, along with several other provincial level government instrumentalities, for example the provincial law courts.

Phang-na is a quiet province, overshadowed by the resort island of Phuket to its immediate south, however, it does have a relaxed charm of its own. The small provincial capital stretches along the main road. The government precinct is located to the south of the town centre. The provincial hall is directly in front of a mountain that is shaped (more or less) as an elephant. This reflects a local legend that an errant farmer killed an elephant by mistake, and that the corpse of the elephant became this mountain. Thus political authority abuts domestic belief.

In design entirely standard, a white rectangular, multi-story building, a statue of King Chulalongkorn, and a flag. When I visited (March 2011) the Thai deputy prime minister was visiting the province, thus all government offices were closed. I was only able to photograph from outside the gates of the hall.
Type of Capitol: State, Province, Canton, or Other Primary Division of a Nation

Address:
Phetkasem Road.
Phang-na, Phang-na Thailand.


Dates of Construction: Unknown.

Hours: Mon-Fri: 09.00-17.00

Historical Monuments/Memorials:
Statue of King Chulalongkorn.


Major Renovations: Not listed

Capitol Web Site: Not listed

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