LAMPHUN

also spelled Lampoon, town and changwat (province) in the Northern region of Thailand. Lamphun, the provincial capital, is an old walled city on the Nam Mae (river) Kuang, 16 mi (26 km) south of Chiengmai. Although located on the BangkokChiengmai railway, it lost its commercial importance to Chiengmai after 1921. Wat Phra That Haripunjaya is Lamphun's most famous temple; the intricate doors of its sanctuary are covered in gold leaf. Neighbouring Pa Sang produces colourful cotton cloth as a major cottage industry. The province, occupying an area of 1,740 sq mi (4,506 sq km), was the site of an early Mon kingdom, founded in the 6th century. The kingdom fell to Thai forces in the 13th century with the rise of Chiengmai and remained a province of the Lanno Thai kingdom until the late 19th century. Fluorite is mined and teak is forested in the western mountains. Rice and tobacco are the main crops. Pop. (1980 ) town, 11,684; (1980) province, 335,039.