Ubon Ratchathani 7.24

Ubon Ratchathani is one of the four major cities of Isan (Khorat/Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen), also known as the "big four of Isan". The city is on the Mun River in the south-east of the Isan region of Thailand. It is known as Ubon (อุบลฯ) for short. The name means "royal lotus city". The provincial seal features a pond with a lotus flower and leaves in a circular frame. Ubon was the administrative centre of Ubon Ratchathani Province. As of 2006, the Ubon urban area had a population of about 200,000. This included 85,000 in Thetsaban Nakhon Ubon Ratchathani (Ubon municipality), 30,000 each in Thetsaban Mueang Warin Chamrap (Warin municipality) and Thetsaban Tambon Kham Yai, 24,000 in Thetsaban Tambon Saen Suk, 10,000 in each of Thetsaban Tambon Pathum and Tambon Kham Nam Saep, and 6,000 in Thetsaban Tambon Ubon.Ubon Ratchathani is 615 km from Bangkok.HistoryThe city was founded in the late 18th century by Thao Kham Phong, descendant of Phra Wo and Phra Ta, who escaped from King Siribunsan of Vientiane into Siam Kingdom during the reign of King Taksin the Great. Later Thao Kham Phong was appointed to be "Phra Pathum Wongsa" and the first ruler of Ubon Ratchathani. In 1792 Ubon Ratchathani became a province, and was also the administrative center of the monthon Isan. Until 1972 Ubon Ratchathani was the largest province of Thailand by area. Yasothon Province was split off from Ubon Ratchathani Province in 1972, followed by Amnat Charoen Province in 1993. Ubon Ratchathani Province now ranks fifth in area.