Phrao district
district in Chiang Mai province, Thailand
Phrao (Thai: พร้าว, pronounced [pʰráːw]; Northern Thai: ᨻᩖ᩶ᩣ᩠ᩅ, pronounced [páːw]) is a district (amphoe) in the north-eastern part of Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. Its major town, Phrao, lies 107 km north-northeast of Chiang Mai. The meaning of Phrao in English is 'coconut'.
History
The name Phrao was given to this city around 1281 by King Mangrai of Lan Na who had been on his way to invade Hariphunchai Kingdom. After this, Mangrai sent his third son, Khrua to rule Phrao. Hereafter, Phrao became one of the important cities of the Lan Na Kingdom.
King Tilokarat, who is considered a god-king of Lan Na, once ruled this city before becoming a king.
Geography
Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Doi Saket, Mae Taeng, Chiang Dao, Chai Prakan of Chiang Mai Province, Mae Suai, and Wiang Pa Pao of Chiang Rai province.
The Khun Tan Range stretches from north to south along the eastern side of the district.
Administration
The district is divided into 11 sub-districts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 108 villages (muban).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Phrao district” as district in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as district in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q476457. Authority coordinates are 19.366, 99.202. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1281.
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 “Phrao district”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Phrao district primary sources, Phrao district archive and Phrao 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 “Phrao district”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Phrao 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.