Mun River

Coordinates: 15°19′14″N 105°30′29″E / 15.32056°N 105.50806°E / 15.32056; 105.50806
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Mun River
The Mun River in Rasi Salai Dam during dry season, Rasi Salai District, Sisaket Province
Map of the Mun River drainage basin
Native nameแม่น้ำมูล (Thai)
Location
CountryThailand
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationNakhon Ratchasima
 • elevation530 m (1,740 ft)
MouthMekong River
 • location
Amphoe Khong Chiam, Ubon Ratchathani province
 • coordinates
15°19′14″N 105°30′29″E / 15.32056°N 105.50806°E / 15.32056; 105.50806
 • elevation
97 m (318 ft)
Length641 km (398 mi)
Basin size119,180 km2 (46,020 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationMekong River, Ubon Ratchathani
 • average725 m3/s (25,600 cu ft/s)
 • maximum10,015 m3/s (353,700 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftChi River
 • rightLam Dom Noi
Longest source length:
Chi River: 1047 km ⟶ Mun River: 115 km ⟶ Mekong River:
Total: 1,162 km

The Mun River (Thai: แม่น้ำมูล, RTGSMaenam Mun, pronounced [mɛ̂ː.náːm mūːn]), sometimes spelled Moon River, is a tributary of the Mekong River. It carries approximately 26 cubic kilometres (6.2 cu mi) of water per year.

Geography[edit]

The mouth of the Mun River on the Mekong

The river begins in the Khao Yai National Park area of the Sankamphaeng Range, near Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand. It flows east through the Khorat Plateau in southern Isan (Nakhon Ratchasima, Buriram, Surin, and Sisaket Provinces) for 750 kilometres (466 mi), until it joins the Mekong at Khong Chiam in Ubon Ratchathani. The Mun River's main tributary is the Chi River, which joins it in the Kanthararom District of Sisaket Province.

History[edit]

Thanks to the Andy Williams hit song, the Mun River was called "Moon River" by US Air Force personnel stationed at Ubon Ratchathani airbase during the Vietnam War. The spelling is still fairly common.[1]

The controversial Pak Mun Dam, which is charged with causing environmental damage,[2] is near the river's confluence with the Mekong.

Tributaries[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Media related to Mun River at Wikimedia Commons