Pak Thong Chai District

Pak Thong Chai (, ) is a district ("amphoe") in the southern part of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand.
History.
The area was an important city in the Khmer era, controlled by "Mueang" Phimai. In the reign of King U Thong of Ayutthaya it was named "Mueang" Pak. When King Narai the Great built "Mueang" Nakhon Ratchasima as the northeastern frontier city of Ayutthaya, "Mueang" Pak was a frontier city of Nakhon Ratchasima, then called "Dan Chapo" (ด่านจะโปะ). King Taksin the Great changed the name of the city to Pak Thong Chai and set aside this area for Lao people from Vientiane kingdom. He promoted Phia Upparacha of Vientiane to be Phraya Wongsa Akkharat (พระยาวงษาอรรคราช), the governor of Pak Thong Chai.
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) changed the city status to a district ("amphoe") in 1908 as part of the "thesaphiban" administrative reforms.
Geography.
Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise): Sung Noen, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima, Chok Chai, Khon Buri, and Wang Nam Khiao.
Administration.
The district is divided into 16 sub-districts ("tambons"), which are further subdivided into 215 villages ("mubans"). There are six sub-district municipalities ("thesaban tambons"): Mueang Pak, covering parts of "tambons" Mueang Pak and Thong Chai Nuea; Pak Thong Chai, part of "tambon" Pak Thong Chai; and Takhop covering part of "tambon" Takhop; Nok Ok, Lam Nang Kaeo, and Bo Pla Thong, and Nok Ok, Lam Nang Kaeo, and Bo Pla Thong each cover parts of the same-named "tambons".