Amphoe Khiri Rat Nikhom 5.07

Khiri Rat Nikhom is a district in the west of Surat Thani Province of southern Thailand.GeographyThe western part of the district is in the hills of the Phuket mountain range, while to the east the terrain is mostly flat. The main rivers are the Phum Duang and Yan Rivers.Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Vibhavadi, Phunphin, Khian Sa, Phanom, and Ban Ta Khun.HistoryThe town was first mentioned during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV), when it was a minor mueang under Takua Pa and part of the Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom. During the thesaphiban administrative reforms in the 1890s it became a district within the province Chaiya, present day Surat Thani.In 1917 the district was renamed Tha Khanon (ท่าขนอน), as the district office was in that area. On 12 April 1961 the name was changed back to its historical name.TransportKhiri Rat Nikhom is the endpoint of a branch of the southern railway, originally planned to run to Phuket, but construction was halted in 1956.AdministrationThe district is subdivided into 8 subdistricts, which are further subdivided into 84 villages . Tha Khanon has subdistrict municipality status and covers parts of tambon Tha Khanon. Each of the 8 tambon is administrated by a tambon administrative organization .