# Sing Buri province

Sing Buri (Thai: สิงห์บุรี, pronounced) is one of the central provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (from north clockwise) Nakhon Sawan, Lopburi, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri, and Chai Nat.

## Toponymy

The word sing originates from Sanskrit singh meaning 'lion' and buri, from Sanskrit puri meaning buri mueang 'fortified city' or 'town'. Hence the literal translation is 'lion city', sharing the same root as Singapore.

## Geography

Sing Buri is located on the flat river plain of the Chao Phraya River valley. Eighty percent of the areas are wide flat areas, of which the soil is suitable for agriculture. There are a small number of slopes in swamps of different sizes. The highest average height of the area is 17 meter above sea level. Floods will occur during the rainy season. The total forest area is 0.4 km$^2$ (0.15 sq mi) or 0.5 per mille of provincial area.

## Climate

Sing Buri province has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification category Aw). Winters are dry and warm. Temperatures rise until May. The monsoon season runs from May through October, with heavy rain and somewhat cooler temperatures during the day, although nights remain warm. Climate statistics: the maximum temperature is 41.4 °C (106.5 °F) in April and the lowest temperature is 10.2 °C (50.4 °F) in December. The highest average temperature is 36.8 °C (98.2 °F) and the minimum average temperature is 20.6 °C (69.1 °F). Annual average rainfall is 1,125 millimeters with mean rainy days is 17.6 in September. Maximum daily rainfall is 203.4 millimeters in October.

## History

The area of Sing Buri held an important position in early Thai history from the Dvaravati period down to the Ayutthaya period. The city was originally on the banks of the Chaksi River. The first relocation was to the west of the Noi River (south of Sing Sutthara Temple) and later moved to Pak Bang Krathong, Ton Pho subdistrict. In 1869 the districts In Buri, Phrom Buri and Sing Buri were merged. In 1895 the three districts came under control of Krung Kao province ("Old capital"), monthon Krung Kao. In 1896 the city was moved to its final destination in Bang Phutsa subdistrict. In 1917 Mueang district changed its name to Bang Phutsa district. In 1938 the government changed the name of the capital district to be the same as the name of the province. So Bang Phutsa district uses the name Mueang Sing Buri until today. In 1939 Sing district was renamed Bang Rachan district.

## Symbols

The provincial seal presents the history of Khai Bang Rachan. When the Burmese attacked Ayutthaya in 1765, 11 leaders with villagers from Bang Rachan fought the army when it stopped north of Ayutthaya. They managed to delay them for five months before they were finally defeated, soon thereafter Ayutthaya fell as well. Annually on 4 February a ceremony is held in remembrance of these local heroes. This story was also made into a movie in Thailand.
* Old seal was created in 1940, shows the fort Khai Bang Rachan.
* New seal was adopted in 2004, shows the eleven leaders who fought the Burmese.
The provincial tree is the Red Sandalwood Tree (Adenanthera pavonina). Pla chon mae la (Mae la snakehead fish) is the native snakehead fish variety that originated in the Lam Mae La, an 18 km (11.2 mi) long branch of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the three districts of Sing buri. This type of snakehead is an ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, both savory and sweet. It is the provincial good stuff and souvenir. Therefore, the aquatic life of Sing Buri is the snakehead fish (Channa strita).

## Administrative divisions
### Provincial government

The province is divided into six districts (amphoes). The districts are further subdivided into 45 subdistricts (tambons) and 364 villages (mubans).
* Mueang Sing Buri
* Bang Rachan
* Khai Bang Rachan
* Phrom Buri
* Tha Chang
* In Buri

### Local government

As of 26 November 2019 there are: one Sing Buri Provincial Administration Organisation (ongkan borihan suan changwat) and 8 municipal (thesaban) areas in the province. Sing Buri and Bang Rachan have town (thesaban mueang) status. Further 6 subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon). The non-municipal areas are administered by 33 Subdistrict Administrative Organisations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).

## Human achievement index 2022

| Health | Education | Employment | Income |
| 48 | 8 | 22 | 46 |
| Housing | Family | Transport | Participation |
| 51 | 55 | 13 | 11 |
| Province Sing Buri, with an HAI 2022 value of 0.6666 is "high", occupies place 9 in the ranking. ||||
Since 2003, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Thailand has tracked progress on human development at sub-national level using the Human achievement index (HAI), a composite index covering all the eight key areas of human development. National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has taken over this task since 2017.
| Rank | Classification |
| 1 - 13 | "high" |
| 14 - 29 | "somewhat high" |
| 30 - 45 | "average" |
| 46 - 61 | "somewhat low" |
| 62 - 77 | "low" |
* Map with provinces and HAI 2022 rankings

## Notable people
### Born in Sing Buri

* MR Kukrit Pramoj (1911–1995), politician, author, newspaper editor, scholar, performer
* Chai Mueangsing (born 1939), luk tung singer
* Chamoy Thipyaso (born 1940), financial crime
* Thanis Sriklindee (born 1951), musician
* Nirun Boonyarattaphan (born 1955), voice actor, TV host
* Santisuk Promsiri (born 1963), actor, TV host
* Kraison Panjaroen (born 1986), footballer
* Phupoom Pongpanu (born 1991), actor
* Aniporn Chalermburanawong (born 1994), beauty pageant, actress
* Milin Dokthian (born 1996), teen idol, singer