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Chumphon Province

Provincial Emblem Flag Province

. Government Governor: Narong Phonla-iat (since October 2016) Capital: Royal capital: - Population: 498,294 (2014) Area: 6,009.0 km2 Administrative divisions Chumphon is divided into eight districts (). These are further subdivided into 70 sub-districts () and 674 villages (). Chumphon and Lang Suan are the two towns ( mueang). There are a further 12 sub-district municipalities (thesaban tambons). 1. Mueang Chumphon 2. Tha Sae 3. Pathio 4. Lang Suan 5. Lamae 6. Phato 2

7. Sawi 8. Thung Tako Geography Chumphon is on the Isthmus of Kra, the narrow land bridge connecting the with the mainland of . To the west are the hills of the Phuket mountain range and its northern continuation, the . The east is coastal plain abutting the . The main river is the Lang Suan River, which originates in Phato District. With a 222 kilometre-long coastline and 44 islands, the Chumphon Archipelago, Chumphon has waterfalls, peaceful beaches, green forests, mangroves, and rivers. Economy The coffee-growing valley of Ban Panwal in Tha Sae District includes 178,283 rai of robusta coffee plantations. It produces more than 24 million tonnes a year. contributes 60 percent of Thailand's total coffee production. Local brands include Thamsing, ST Chumphon, and Khao Tha-Lu Chumporn. Tourism In the first 11 months of 2015, Chumphon arrivals grew by 17 percent to 1.86 million and tourism revenue by 21 percent to 7.55 billion baht. Average hotel occupancy rose to 65 percent from 53 percent in 2014. Arrivals are expected to grow by 17 percent in 2016. Etymology There are two different theories on the origin of the name "Chumphon". According to one, it originates from Chumnumporn (lit., 'accumulation of forces') which derives from the fact that Chumphon was a frontier city. Another theory claims the name derives from a local tree named Maduea Chumphon (Ficus glomerata), abundant in the province.