History

Around 3,000-5,000 years ago, the basin of the Takuapa River and the forested hills in Phangnga province were the residence of prehistoric tribes. The local tribe in the Malayan Peninsula and the northern part of Phangnga is known as the Semang or Sekai. The Semang emigrated to settle on the seashores because of the fertile natural resources of marine life and food.

Already an economically sophisticated port in 43 BC, Phangnga was one of the first places in Southeast Asia to engage in international trade. Thus, there were the rising number of immigrants and visitors which had so many influences on the old folks. Mon and Khmer immigrants from the north settled near rivers and seashores down to the edge of the Malayan Peninsula. Almost in the same era, trade between Indian people and the local tribes brought large numbers of merchants and Indian Brahmans which greatly influenced the local culture, religion, language, traditions, and gastronomy. The Indian immigrants eventually controlled the kingdom at the same time as Malayan people from the north of Sumatra became so powerful that they moved to settle the Malacca Kingdom at the tip of the Malayan Peninsula. The Malayan people brought the influence of Islamic religion and culture to the local people.

The important economic port of Takaopa, once called Takkola, is the departure point for trips to its hundreds of scenic islands. Located just west of the Malayan Peninsula, it was often visited by seafaring Indians and traders seeking refuge from pirates or avoiding fierce storms in the Malacca strait. Phangnga bay was a safe mooring for ships in every season including during storms. Traveling through Takaopa to Ban Don on the other side of the peninsula, both main ports for trading in Southeast Asia at that time, was a short cut which made it possible to avoid the Malacca strait. Archeological discoveries in Takaopa province show evidence of the habitation by Indians and other immigrants in Phangnga.

Takaopa once was a prosperous area of tin mining called “Takaodam, or black tin”. By 1626 AD Dutch merchants had established mines and from the Songtham to the Rattanakosin era they had exclusive contracts for mining the tin.

In late 1808 Burmese troops invaded Takaopa, Takaotung city and the western part of the south. After defeating the Burmese, King Rama II of Rattanakosin era established Phangnga as a province under the protection and rule of Nakhon Si Thammarat. At that time it was called Phunga, because the area is surrounded by strange looking mountains and hills. However, Takaopa was not included as a part of Phangnga and was administratively governed as one province under the rule of Phuket province. From about 1840 Takaopa prospered from tin trading. However, after 1861 civil conflict among Chinese groups who controlled the tin trade caused decreasing production of tin which, combined with a decline in tin prices, resulted in an economic crisis which lasted until 1890.

In 1932 King Rama VII established Takaopa province as a part of Phangnga province. Since then Takaopa has been a main district and important port providing access to the undisturbed islands of the Andaman Sea in Phangnga.

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