Amphoe Khanom

Khanom (Thai: ขนอม) is the northernmost district (Amphoe) of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand.

Geography
The district is located in the north of the province. To the west is Surat Thani Province, while to the north and east is the Gulf of Thailand. Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Sichon of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Don Sak of Surat Thani.

Most of the coast line of district will be protected as part of the Hat Khanom - Mu Ko Thale Tai National Park, which is currently in process of creation. The coast of the district consists of a series of beaches nestled among the limestone and shale mountains of northern Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range. Nai Plao Beach is the most popular of these beaches. Several caves are found in the hills, the most famous one is Khao Wang Thong cave. The major hills within the districts are Khao Luang (814 m), Khao Phlao and Khao Dat Fa (732 m) at the southeastern boundary to Sichon, and Khao Chai Son (535 m) adjacent Khanom town at the Khanom Bay, the mouth of Khlong Khanom.

The main road is Highway 401, which passes through the southwestern part of the district. Route 4014 connects the district center which that highway, while 4142 connects the center with Don Sak.

History
Back in 1365 a first town (mueang) named Tranom (ตระนอม) was established, which was a subordinate of Nakhon Si Thammarat. During the thesaphiban administrative reforms of the early 20th century it became a tambon within the Sichon district.[1] On March 1 1939 it was made a minor district (King Amphoe), consisting of the two tambon Khanom and Thong Nian.. The minor district was upgraded to a full district on December 11 1959.

The third tambon Khuan Thong was created on December 25 1963 with three muban from Thong Nian and two from Khanom.

The sanitary district (sukhaphiban) Khanom was established on December 28 1945, which was officially gazetteered on January 28 1957. On May 25 1999 it was converted to a township (thesaban tambon), as all the sanitary districts were upgraded to a municipality.

Wat Kradangnga is the oldest Buddhist temple of the district, dating back to the Ayutthaya era.

Education
There are two high schools - Khanom Phitthaya High School and Thong Nian Khana Phi Ban High School - and a campus of the Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia