CHANTHABURI

also called Chantabun, town and changwat (province) in the Central region of Thailand. Chanthaburi town, the provincial capital, is a commercial centre near the mouth of the Mae Nam (river) Chanthaburi, serving the region's pepper, rubber, fruit, and coffee plantations. The province has an area of 2,447 sq mi (6,338 sq km). The Chanthaburi Range is in the north and the Gulf of Thailand on the south. Pop. (1980) town, 21,056; province, 297,631.