The city of Muang Na Rang was reconstructed after it had been abandoned during the fall of the
Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1767. During the reign of
King Rama II, a new city was established at the mouth of the I Rom Canal known as Muang Bang Nang Rom. In 1855, the town was renamed "Prachuap Khiri Khan", which means 'city in the mountains'. King
Mongkut gathered the people of three towns—Bang Nangrom, Kui Buri, and Khlong Wan—and resettled them in the rebuilt city. At the same time, he renamed a portion of what is now
Trat province and
Koh Kong province in Cambodia "Patchan Khiri Khet". The name was chosen to rhyme with "Prachuap Khiri Khan" on the opposite side of the
Gulf of Thailand at the same latitude. In 1868, King
Mongkut invited foreign guests to Prachuap Khiri Khan to watch a
solar eclipse he had predicted for 18 August. The dignitaries viewed it from an observation point in the marshes near Sam Roi Yot. He contracted
malaria, of which he died on 1 October. Prachuap became a seaside resort during the reign of
King Rama V. Besides tourism, the province is heavily agricultural. Coconuts are a major crop. As much as 40 percent of farmers in Prachuap Khiri Khan solely cultivate coconuts. At the beginning of
World War II, Japanese troops invaded Thailand. On 8 December 1941, they struck near the city of Prachuap Khiri Khan. The next day, after resisting the Japanese in the
Battle of Prachuap Khiri Khan, the defenders were ordered to surrender by the government in Bangkok.
Archaeology The discovery of 3,000 years old cave paintings was announced by archaeologists from the Fine Arts Office in a cave at the
Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park in May 2020. Some of the depicted pictures are still visible and clear, while some paintings were damaged by limestone etching. According to archeologist Kannika Premjai, paintings describe humanlike figures with accessories on their bodies, hunting scenes with bow and arrow. Moreover, there is also an animal figure seems to be serow (a goat-like mammal found regionally) found among the drawings. ==Geography==