Ko Sichang District
| Ko Sichang เกาะสีชัง | |
|---|---|
| Amphoe | |
 Amphoe location in Chonburi Province | |
| Coordinates: 13°09′48″N 100°48′30″E / 13.16333°N 100.80833°ECoordinates: 13°09′48″N 100°48′30″E / 13.16333°N 100.80833°E | |
| Country |
 Thailand |
| Province | Chonburi |
| Seat | Tha Thewawong |
| Area | |
| • Total | 17.3 km2 (6.7 sq mi) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Total | 5,038 |
| • Density | 291/km2 (750/sq mi) |
| Time zone | ICT (UTC+7) |
| Postal code | 20120 |
| Geocode | 2008 |
Ko Sichang (or Koh Sichang Thai: เกาะสีชัง [kɔ̀ʔ sǐːtɕʰāŋ]) is a district (amphoe) of the province Chonburi, Thailand. It consists of the island of Ko Sichang and its adjoining islands. Ko Sichang is in the Gulf of Thailand, 12 km off the shore of Si Racha district.
History
King Rama IV, Rama V and Rama VI came to the island for rest. King Rama V initiated construction of a royal summer palace, named "Phra Chuthathut Palace" (Thai: พระจุฑาธุชราชฐาน) after his son who was born on this island. The royal residence was abandoned in 1893 after the French occupied the island during a conflict with Thailand over control of neighboring Laos. In 1900, the palace was torn down and reassembled in Bangkok, where it is now named Vimanmek Palace.
The British diplomat John Crawfurd visited the islands in 1822 during the mission described in his book Journal of an embassy from the Governor-General of India to the courts of Siam and Cochin-China: exhibiting a view of the actual state of those kingdoms. He reports that Francis Buchanan-Hamilton called the islands of Ko Sichang District the "Dutch Islands", and Ko Sichang itself as "Amsterdam", due to frequent visits by ships of the Dutch East India Company during the 17th century.[1] American diplomat Edmund Roberts visited the district in the 1830s, which he documented in his book, Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat.[2]
The island was originally a minor district (King Amphoe) under the Mueang district of Samut Prakan Province. As of 1 January 1943 it was reassigned to the Si Ratcha district of Chonburi.[3] On 4 July 1994 the minor district was upgraded to a full district.[4]
Climate
Ko Sichang has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). Maximum temperatures remain fairly hot throughout the year, ranging from 29.6 °C (85.3 °F) in December to 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) in April. The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rainfall.
| Climate data for Ko Sichang (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 30.3 (86.5) |
31.0 (87.8) |
31.9 (89.4) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.5 (90.5) |
31.9 (89.4) |
31.5 (88.7) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
29.9 (85.8) |
31.31 (88.34) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.8 (80.2) |
26.1 (79) |
26.2 (79.2) |
25.1 (77.2) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.2 (77.37) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 10.9 (0.429) |
15.7 (0.618) |
49.6 (1.953) |
77.3 (3.043) |
134.4 (5.291) |
125.4 (4.937) |
123.4 (4.858) |
136.8 (5.386) |
269.2 (10.598) |
207.1 (8.154) |
60.6 (2.386) |
8.5 (0.335) |
1,218.9 (47.988) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 106 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 73 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 77 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 81 | 82 | 74 | 68 | 76.2 |
| Source: Thai Meteorological Department (Normal 1981-2010), (Avg. rainy days 1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
Demographics
Around 1833, when Edmund Roberts visited, he described the area as being occupied by "a few fisherman" who also raised yams, bananas, capsicums, gourds and cucumbers.[2]
Administration
The district consists of a single sub-district (tambon) Tha Thewawong (ท่าเทววงษ์), which is further subdivided into seven villages (muban). The district is completely covered by the township (thesaban tambon) Ko Sichang.
Nearby islands
- Ko Sampan Yue
- Ko Kham Noi
- Ko Kham Yai
- Ko Prong
- Ko Ran Dok Mai
- Ko Yai Thao
- Ko Khangkhao
- Ko Thai Ta Muen
See also
References
- ↑ Crawfurd, John (1830). Journal of an embassy from the Governor-General of India to the courts of Siam and Cochin-China: exhibiting a view of the actual state of those kingdoms. London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. p. 193.
- 1 2 Roberts, Edmund (1837). Embassy to the Eastern Courts of Cochin-China, Siam, and Muscat. New York: Harper & Brothers. p. 232.
- ↑ ประกาศกระทรวงมหาดไทย เรื่อง ให้กิ่งอำเภอเกาะสีชัง ขึ้นกับอำเภอศรีราชา จังหวัดชลบุรี (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai) 60 (1 ง): 6. 1 Jan 1943.
- ↑ พระราชกฤษฎีกาตั้งอำเภอเปือยน้อย ... และอำเภอศรีวิไล พ.ศ. ๒๕๓๗ (PDF). Royal Gazette (in Thai) 111 (21 ก): 32–35. 3 Jun 1994.
External links
Ko Sichang travel guide from Wikivoyage- Website of district (Thai only)
- Amphoe Ko Sichang from amphoe.com (Thai only)
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