On the West Coast in the south of Thailand during Ratanakosin era, there emerged a new province. A stone inscription at Wat Sema Muang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, referred to the place along the West Coast of the Indian Ocean as "Muang Trang."
From historical evidences, "Muang Trang" was not mentioned anywhere prior to the Sri Ayuthya dynasty. Those mentioned were Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Chaiya, Chumphon, Phetchaburi, Kuiburi, Pranburi, Klongwan, Bang Tapan, Tanao Si, Marid, Tawai and Sam Khok. It was therefore assumed that Trang should formerly have been merely a passage way linking Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung, and subsequently developed into a city when it became more populated.
The community of Trang area could be traced back to the prehistoric era evidenced by Neolithic artefacts. Human skeletons unearthed at Tham Khao Phra, Amphor Huay Yod. Stone axes all over the province. Fragments of pottery and tripod pots at Khao Pina, Khao Sam Bat, Tham Khao Phra and colourful paintings at Khao Bae Na, are all indicative of traces of over 5,000 years of civilisation of Trang community.
Though some written historical records referring to Trang community exist, but the cultural history of its development into township has always been vague until the discovery of the stone inscription at Wat Sema Muang, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The inscription was about King Sri Thamma Sokaraj's erecting Nakhon Sri Thammarat at Hat Sai Kaew in B.E. 1098 (555), and a Buddha's relic cottage therein. In erecting a mother town, according to Brahman tradition, satellite towns must also be erected. According to the inscription, there were 12 such satellite towns, called the 12 animal years. Muang Trang was one of the animal years, the year of horse, and therefore had a horse as its town insignia. Muang Trang had then officially come into existence, and had since gone through 3 major developments.
According to the directory of Nakhon Si Thammarat, B.E. 2345 (1802), during the reign of King Rama ll. Phraya Borirak Phubet (Nol) was appointed governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat Succeeding Chao Phraya Nokhon (Phat). He, therefore, proposed that his son, Muang, be Appointed governor of Trang. The king then gave Mr. Muang a title of Luang Upai Rajthani, and appointed him the first governor of Trang. A town shrine was erected at Kuan Thani (Still exists at Tambon Kuan Thani, Amphor Kantang, and 8 km south of the city). In B.E. 2367 (1824), A significant historical event occurred at Trang in Kuan Thani, during which England sent Captain James Low to negotiate on commercial benefits of the Malaysian Peninsula with Phraya Nakhon (Nol) in Trang. In B.E. 2381 (1838), when Phra Songkram Vichit was Trang governor, the So-called Koh Yao pirates attacked Trang and finally took over the city. However not long after, forces from Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhlia subdued the pirates.
In B.E. 2433 (1890), King Rama V visited the south and paid his first visit to the city of Trang. He contemplated that the city (at Kuan Thani) was in a very dilapidated condition compared with The Chinese community at Tambon Kantang (where pepper was cultivated for export to Penang). The king, therefore, reasoned that under a capable governor, the city could have been very well developed owing to its fertile land. He then caused Phraya Rasdanupradit Mahissaraphakdi, or Kho Sim Bee Na Ranong, who had successfully developed Phuket to his satisfaction, to transfer from Krabi to become the governor of Trang in B.E. 2433 (1890). Phraya Rasdanupradit contemplated that the location of Trang at Kuan Thani was too far away from the coast, unsuitable for trading Purposes and difficult to expand. With his strong intention to make Trang a significant seaport in the West Coast, he, therefore, sought permission from the king to move the city from Kuan Thani to Tambon Kantang, and obtained the king's permission in B.E. 2436 (1893). When the City was moved to Tambon Kantang, Phraya Rasdanupradit laid down so many foundations for development for the city of Trang, that the citizens referred to him as "the king of Development". He was able to make the city's rapid economic growth possible from rearrangement of Town plan. Foreign trade encouragement, construction of Kantang seaport and a road linking Trang and Phatthalung through Phap Pha mountain region, which at that time was an extremely Difficult task but was perfectly completed under his able supervision. To commemorate his numerous contributions, the local people erected a statue of Phraya Rasdanupradit in B.E. 2494 (1951) at his former residence, which is still in existence to date in the city of Trang.
Though Trang had been very prosperous under the leadership of Governor Phraya Rasdanupradit. During the World War l, King Rama VI visited Trang (at Kantang) in B.E. 2458 (1915) and determined That Trang's being located at Kantang could be subject to enemy's attack, coupled with a spreading of cholera at that time. Moreover, Kantang's being lowland would be difficult for future Expansion. He considered that Tambon Thap Thiang was geographically suitable for a city to be erected there. He, therefore, caused the city to be moved in B.E. 2458 (1915) from Tambon Kantang to Tambon Thap Thiang, where Trang is currently situated. Some people still refer to Trang as "Thap Thiang", which is the name of the location on which Trang is situated.
The history of Trang is now known generally, but there still is a question on what exactly is the meaning of Trang. There are many hypothesis on the meaning of Trang, 4 of which are as follows:
From "Trangdaburi", a name of one of the twelve satellite towns surrounding Nakhon Si Thammarat: the one with a seaport and a horse insignia.
From the word "Trangka", which means wave, since the landscape of Trang is characterised by high and low formations, like a wave.
From the Malaysian word "TrangKae", which means "dawn" or "the day comes". This is another theory proposed by many historians, the origin being that Malaysian merchant ships usually reached the mouth of the Trang River at dawn.
From the Khmer word "Trang", which means a species of palm tree generally found in Trang area, but is rare elsewhere. This rather makes sense since most of the places in this region were named after its local natural resources. It is, therefore, possible that the place as named after the particular local tree. However, the mater remains inconclusive and the word's exact meaning remains a puzzle.
When he was the governor of Trang, Phraya Rasdanupradit brought from Australia a species of flowering plants, with a scientific name of Jacaranda Filicifolia, which belongs to Bignoniaceae species. The plant is tall with fine leaves and purplish blue flowers, blooming in the dry season from December to April. The citizens named this lovely flower "Sri Trang". And it's the symbol of the city of Trang.
"Sri" Pronounced "See".
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