Sing Buri province

Sing Buri (Thai: สิงห์บุรี, pronounced [sǐŋ būrīː]) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand.^[5] Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nakhon Sawan, Lopburi, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, and Chai Nat.

According to the Ayutthaya Testimonies, the province center, Sing Buri, was founded by the Siamese monarch Anuraja in the early 12th century, who established it as the new capital of the Phraek Si Racha region, thereby superseding Chai Nat as the administrative center of the polity.^[6]: 43

The word sing originates from Sanskrit singh meaning 'lion' and buri, from Sanskrit puri meaning buri mueang 'fortified city' or 'town'. Hence the literal translation is 'lion city', sharing the same root as Singapore.

Sing Buri is located on the flat river plain of the Chao Phraya River valley. Eighty percent of the areas are wide flat areas, of which the soil is suitable for agriculture. There are a small number of slopes in swamps of different sizes. The highest average height of the area is 17 meter above sea level. Floods will occur during the rainy season. The total forest area is 0.4 km² (0.15 sq mi) or 0.5 per mille of provincial area.^[7]

Sing Buri province has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification category Aw). Winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until May. The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm. Climate statistics: the maximum temperature is 41.4 °C (106.5 °F) in April and the lowest temperature is 10.2 °C (50.4 °F) in December. The highest average temperature is 36.8 °C (98.2 °F) and the minimum average temperature is 20.6 °C (69.1 °F). Annual average rainfall is 1,125 millimeters with mean rainy days is 17.6 in September. Maximum daily rainfall is 203.4 millimeters in October.^[8]

The area of Sing Buri held an important position in early Thai history from the Dvaravati period down to the Ayutthaya period. The city was originally on the banks of the Chaksi River. The first relocation was to the west of the Noi River (south of Sing Sutthara Temple) and later moved to Pak Bang Krathong, Ton Pho subdistrict. In 1869 the districts In Buri, Phrom Buri and Sing Buri were merged. In 1895 the three districts came under control of Krung Kao province ("Old capital"), monthon Krung Kao. In 1896 the city was moved to its final destination in Bang Phutsa subdistrict. In 1917 Mueang district changed its name to Bang Phutsa district.^[9] In 1938 the government changed the name of the capital district to be the same as the name of the province. So Bang Phutsa district uses the name Mueang Sing Buri until today. In 1939 Sing district was renamed Bang Rachan district.^[10]

The provincial seal presents the history of Khai Bang Rachan. When the Burmese attacked Ayutthaya in 1765, 11 leaders with villagers from Bang Rachan fought the army when it stopped north of Ayutthaya. They managed to delay them for five months before they were finally defeated, soon thereafter Ayutthaya fell as well. Annually on 4 February a ceremony is held in remembrance of these local heroes. This story was also made into a movie in Thailand.

• Old seal was created in 1940, shows the fort Khai Bang Rachan.
• New seal was adopted in 2004, shows the eleven leaders who fought the Burmese.

The provincial tree is the Red Sandalwood Tree (Adenanthera pavonina). Pla chon mae la (Mae la snakehead fish) is the native snakehead fish variety that originated in the Lam Mae La, an 18 km (11.2 mi) long branch of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the three districts of Sing buri. This type of snakehead is an ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet. It is the provincial good stuff and souvenir. Therefore, the aquatic life of Sing Buri is the snakehead fish (Channa strita).

Population history of Sing Buri province is as follows:^[11][12]

There are total 193 Theravada Buddhist temples in the province, of which 177 Maha Nikai and 16 Dhammayut temples.^[13][14]

The province is divided into six districts (amphoes).^[5] The districts are further subdivided into 45 subdistricts (tambons) and 364 villages (mubans).

As of 26 November 2019 there are:^[15] one Sing Buri Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 8 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Sing Buri and Bang Rachan have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 6 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 33 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

Educational institutions from kindergarten to vocational education in Sing Buri province is as follows:^[16]

• Total six vocational colleges with 4,070 students.

• Total 18 upper secondary schools with 3,423 students.
• Total 42 lower secondary schools with 6,444 students.

• Total 61 primary schools with 11,751 pupils.

There are six government hospitals in Sing Buri province, of which Mueang Sing Buri and In Buri districts each with its own general hospital:

• Sing Buri Hospital with 282 beds.
• In Buri Hospital with 150 beds.

Further there are four community hospitals:

There is one private hospital in Sing Buri province, in Mueang Sing Buri district:

• Singburi Vechakarn Hospital with 30 beds.

There are total 45 health-promoting hospitals in the province, of which: In Buri 17, Bang Rachan 7, Mueang Sing Buri 7, Phrom Buri 6, Khai Bang Rachan 5 and Tha Chang 3.^[17]

Around 105 clinics are in Sing Buri province, of which 58 clinics (55%) in Mueang Sing Buri, 16 Bang Rachan, 12 Khai Bang Rachan, 11 Phrom Buri, 5 Tha Chang and 3 In Buri.^[18]

In 2022, Sing Buri province had an economic output of 27.932 billion baht (US$798 million). This amounts to per capita gross provincial product (GPP) of 151,441 baht (US$4,326).^[19] In 2024 the total workforce was 109,981 of which 108,274 persons were employed in economic activity. In agriculture and fishery 24,115 persons (22.3%) were employed and in the non-agricultural sector 84,159 persons (77.7%).^[20]

The biggest sector of the economy generated 8.297 billion baht (US$236 million) or 29.7% of GPP with 2,144 registered entities and a workforce of 23,286 people (21.5% of all employed persons).

Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, the third sector of the economy generated 3.307 billion baht (US$94 million) or 11.8% of GPP with 3,685 registered entities and a workforce of 18,662 (17.2%).

Agriculture and fishery in Sing Buri province, the forth sector of the economy, generated 3.171 billion baht (US$91 million) or 11.3% of GPP.

Agricultural land use, 637 km² (246 sq mi) is 77.5% of total land of Sing buri province 822 km² (317 sq mi). This is divided as follows: paddy land: 540 km² (210 sq mi) 65.7%, upland rice: 35 km² (14 sq mi) 4.3%, farmland: 44 km² (17 sq mi) 5.4%, orchard/perennial crop: 11 km² (4.2 sq mi) 1.3% and vegetable/ornamental plant: 2 km² (0.77 sq mi) 0.2%.^[21]

Production of the four main arable crops: rice 361,479 tonnes, sugarcane 352,788 tonnes, peanut 539 tonnes and cassava 129 tonnes.

Production of the three main vegetable crops: watermelon 150 tonnes, cucumber 61 tonnes and chinese kale 34 tonnes.
Further there are: banana 596 tonnes, mango 554 tonnes; lime 196 tonnes, pomelo 196 tonnes and guava 117 tonnes.

Livestock produced included: chickens 1,613,851, ducks 113,463, geese 45,253, swines 22,627, goats 17,354, beef cattle 2,914 and buffalos 385.

Total catch from 2,120 freshwater aquaculture farms amounted to 2,639 tonnes.

304 construction entities and a workforce of 4,175 people (3.9%) contributed 970 million baht (US$28 million) or 3.5% of GPP.

1,483 registered hotels, restaurants and food service activities contributed 157 million baht (US$4.5 million) or 0.6 percent of GPP, with a workforce numbering 7,349 (6.8%).

There were 851 hotel rooms in 2022; about 650,137 people of which 646,177 Thai (almost 100%) visited Sing Buri province and contributed 883 million baht (US$25 million) to tourism revenues. Further explained: 201,973 tourists and 448,164 excursionists. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on tourism is clear. In 2021, the decline was 70% compared to 2020. But in 2022 the rebound was 350% compared to 2021.^[22]

Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.^[3]

• MR Kukrit Pramoj (1911–1995), politician, author, newspaper editor, scholar, performer
• Chai Mueangsing (born 1939), luk tung singer
• Chamoy Thipyaso (born 1940), financial crime
• Thanis Sriklindee (born 1951), musician
• Nirun Boonyarattaphan (born 1955), voice actor, TV host
• Santisuk Promsiri (born 1963), actor, TV host
• Kraison Panjaroen (born 1986), footballer
• Phupoom Pongpanu (born 1991), actor
• Aniporn Chalermburanawong (born 1994), beauty pageant, actress
• Milin Dokthian (born 1996), teen idol, singer

• Sing Buri travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Website of province Archived 2006-12-05 at the Wayback Machine (Thai)
• Singburi provincial map, coat of arms and postal stamp Archived October 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine

14°53′35″N 100°24′42″E / 14.89306°N 100.41167°E / 14.89306; 100.41167