Lamphun (ลำพูน)

Thai. Capital of Lamphun province (map), a jangwat of the same name in North Thailand. The city is situated about 670 kms from Bangkok, some 30 kms from the regional capital of Chiang Mai and has a population of approximately 15,000, whilst the province houses about 405,150 people. In the Dvaravati period, during the rule of Queen Chamadevi, the city's first ruler, it was known as Haripunchai. It is purportedly over 1,300 years old and was the northernmost city of this early Dvaravati Mon kingdom, as well as the last city to fall to the Thai. In the late 12th century it came under siege from the Khmer, but did not fall. However, in 1281 King Mengrai took hold of the city and incorporated it into the Lan Na kingdom. After the Burmese expansion in the 16th century, Lamphun also came under Burmese rule which lasted for almost two centuries. In the 18th century, king Taksin of Thonburi allied with Chao Kawila, then leader of Lampang and with Prince Chaban, ruler of Chiang Mai, and with help of a Siamese army under the command of Chao Phrya Chakri they jointly overthrew the Burmese and liberated Lan Na. In 1805, after its liberation, the city was governed by Chao Luang Sethi Khamfan  as a vassal of Rattanakosin. Being the eight son of Prince Chai Kaew of Lampang and thus a descendant from the house of Thipchakratiwong directly related to Chao Kawila, he in 1823 ascended the throne as the third king of Lan Na under Siamese rule. Lamphun was ruled by ten successive descendants from the house of Thipchakratiwong, until it became a province of Thailand in 1932. Lamphun has seven amphur and one king amphur. The province has some of the largest lamyai orchards in the country. See also Lamphun data file. 回