Phop Phra district
district in Tak province, Thailand
Phop Phra (Thai: พบพระ, pronounced [pʰóp pʰráʔ]) is a district (amphoe) in the southwestern part of Tak province, western Thailand.
History
The area now Phop Phra was originally Tambon Chong Khaep of Mae Sot district. Due to the large size of Mae Sot and problems with communist insurgents, the government created a separate administration for the area. Effective 1 April 1977 the three tambon Phop Phra, Chong Khaep, and Khiri Rat formed a new minor district (king amphoe). It was upgraded to a full district on 3 March 1987.
Etymology
The name "Phop Phra" means 'Lord Buddha image discovery'. Originally the area was named Pho Pha (เพอะพะ), which in the Karen language means 'swamp area', so the name was changed to have a more elevated meaning.
Geography
Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Mae Sot, Mueang Tak, and Wang Chao of Tak Province, Ban Rai of Uthai Thani province, Umphang of Tak Province, and Kayin State of Myanmar.
Namtok Pha Charoen National Park is in the district. The park is known for its Pha Charoen waterfall with 97 tiers.
“Phop Phra district” enters the record as district in Tak province, Thailand. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Phop, Phra and district can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Phop Phra district” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Phop, Phra and district provides the most credible route into that argument.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q476430. Authority coordinates are 16.386, 98.690. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1977 and 1987.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Phop Phra district”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Phop Phra district primary sources, Phop Phra district archive and Phop research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Phop Phra district”?
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Phop Phra district” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.