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Lamphun Province
Lamphun is one of the Northern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are from north clockwise, Chiang Mai, Lampang, and Tak. It is ranked 49th in area and 60th in population.
Geography: Lamphun is located in the Ping River valley. It is surrounded by mountain chains, with the Thanon Thong Chai Range in the west and the Khun Tan Range in the east of the province. It is some 670 kilometres from Bangkok and 26 kilometres from Chiang Mai.
Within the province are Chae Son and Doi Khun Tan National Parks in the Khun Tan Range, as well as Tham Pha Thai, Doi Luang National Park, and the Huai Tak Teak Biosphere Reserve in the Phi Pan Nam Range.
History: Under its old name of Haripunchai, Lamphun was the northernmost city of the Mon kingdom of the Dvaravati period and also the last to fall to the Thai. In the late-12th century it came under siege from the Khmer, but did not fall. However, in 1281 King Mengrai of Lanna finally seized the city, and made it part of his kingdom. After Burmese expansion in the 16th century, Lamphun was under Burmese rule for two centuries. In the 18th century, with the rise of Thonburi and Bangkok against Burmese rule, local leaders from Lampang agreed to become allies. Lamphun was finally freed from the Burmese and ruled by relatives of Lampang's leader, gaining vassal status from Bangkok. Eventually, after the administrative reform of Bangkok government in the late-19th century, Lamphun became part, as a province, of Siam.
Tourism: Sandwiched between Chaing Mai and Lampang, Lamphun is easily accessible by air, rail and road. Its historic significance is immense but rather lost to the casual visitor to Thailand but a lot can be learnt in just a day trip. Doi Khun Tan National Park is worth a visit while in the south there is access to Mae Ping National Park. (See list of sites below).
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