Regions of Thailand in the 1940s

I just mentioned them when I talked about the statistical regions earlier, and as a matter of coincidence I now found them in the Royal Gazette as well - the regions which were the successors of the abolished circles (monthon). They were named Phak (ภาค), and were simply numbered, so it was simply ภาค ๑, ภาค ๒ and so on.



Though according to the original forum posting where I first about them, the regions were started in 1934 as a direct successor of the abolished monthon, the first announcement I could find so far in the Royal Gazette dates from 1941, when the four annexed provinces were included into the regional layout. At that time there were five regions - Central and west, east, northeast, north and south.



1943 the layout was changed in the first two regions, region 1 became a southern region, while region 2 a northern central region. In March 1944 the two provinces of the capital, Phra Nakhon and Thonburi, were excluded from the regions, which was undone in October the same year. Another announcement of 1946 was issued to add the re-created provinces Nonthaburi, Nakhon Nayok, Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon into region 1.



In 1947 the four annexed provinces were returned to French Indochina, so these were removed out of the regions list. Additionally, as the province Kalasin was re-created, this was now also listed, but the basic layout of the four areas remained unchanged.



I intentionally titled the posting with 1940s, as the change of 1951 into 9 regions will be the topic of a separated posting. I also haven't yet found the official announcement to abolish the region in 1956.