Tha Ruea (, ) is a district (amphoe) in northeastern part of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, central Thailand.

History The original name of the district was Nakhon Noi. In 1917, it was renamed Tha Ruea to commemorate an important event within the district. When the hunter Bun found the Buddha's footprint in Sara Buri province, King Songtham travelled by royal barge along the Pa Sak River to worship. He moored his royal barge in the district, and continued his travel overland. His route has since become a royal tradition, as later kings always travelled by this way to worship Buddha's footprint in Wat Phra Phutthabat. The Thai word "tha ruea" means "port" or "pier".

In 1965, Tha Ruea was the scene of a major robbery by three gangs, totaling 17 people. The robberies were a wet market and a police station. The robbers brazenly shot at the police station, as if they had no fear of the law. Eventually, the robbers were caught, some of them were extrajudicially executed, and six were sentenced to public firing squads the following year. The event inspired the 2004 film Siames Outlaws.

Geography Neighbouring districts are (from the north clockwise) Don Phut, Ban Mo, Sao Hai, Nong Saeng of Saraburi province, and Phachi and Nakhon Luang of Ayutthaya Province.

Administration

Provincial government The district is divided into 10 subdistricts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 84 villages (mubans).

+ (Tambons) #NameThaiVil.Pop. 1 Tha Ruea - 6,768 2 Champa 9 8,760 3 Tha Luang 10 5,856 4 Ban Rom 9 3,073 5 Sala Loi 15 4,794 6 Wang Daeng 8 3,185 7 Pho En 6 3,143 8 Pak Tha 8 2,882 9 Nong Khanak 10 4,561 10 Tha Chao Sanook 9 3,903 Total: 84 46,925

Local government As of 31 December 2018 there are two subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon) in the district. The non-municipal areas are administered by nine Subdistrict Administrative Organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

1 Tha Luang subdistrict municipality Pop. Subdistrict Champa 5,873 Subdistrict Tha Luang 2,900 Total population 8,773 2 Tha Ruea subdistrict municipality 6,768

+ # Name ThaiPop. 1 Champa SAO 2,887 2 Tha Luang SAO 2,956 3 Ban Rom SAO 3,073 4 Sala Loi SAO 4,794 5 Wang Daeng SAO 3,185 6 Pho En SAO 3,143 7 Pak Tha SAO 2,882 8 Nong Khanak SAO 4,561 9 Tha Chao Sanook SAO 3,903 Total: 31,384

Transportation

Northern Line of Thailand Railways passes through the district. Stations are Tha Ruea, Nong Wiwat, and Ban Plak Raet. It connects the district with Ayutthaya and Bangkok.

References