L et’s Go
Ubon Ratchathani
S
ometimes one chooses to go
to places, not because of the
stereotypical appeal towards
the white sandy beaches and the
young coconut shells but because of the
wonderful amalgamate of rich history.
At these times the perfect destination
to vacation in gathers culture, strong
fascinating tradition, enthralling history
and great sightseeing that and great
sightseeing that is even more appealing
when we’re revealed the stories behind
them. One of those destinations in
Thailand is Ubon Ratchathani,.
Ubon Ratchathani is one of the four
major cities that you will find in the
Isan region which is Thailand’s largest
region. Along with Khorat, Udon Thani
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and Khon Khae, they are known by their
colloquial alias “The Big Four of Isan”.
Located in the north east of Thailand, it
is the administrative region of the Ubon
Ratchathani Province and borders both
Laos to the East and Cambodia’s famous
Preah Vihear region to the South.
The history of Ubon Ratchatani is quite
interesting. Ubon Ratchatani is actually
a fairly young city. But it’s the manner in
which it was founded that evokes a sense
of wonder. In the late eighteenth century,
a young Thao (a title that was previously
used to refer to Lord Steward in the Thai
royal and noble society) founded the city.
Thao Kham Phong ran away from the
Kingdom of Vientiane in what is today
modern Laos in order to escape the
authority of King Siribunsan. Thao Kham
Phong, who was a descendant of Phra Wo
and Phra Ta, thus arrived to the former
Kingdom of Siam (modern day Thailand)
whilst Taksin the Great ruled the nation.
Thao Kham Phong would eventually go
onto be presented with the title of “Phra
Pathum Wongsa” and this allowed him
to become the first ever ruler of Ubon
Ratchathani. Thus under him in 1792, the
province of Ubon Ratchathani was born
too.
This wouldn’t be the end of Ubon
Ratchathani’s struggle though, as French
forces marched in during the midst of
World War Two as payback for the Thais