Huai Kha

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Huai Kha (Thai: ห้วยข่า) is a subdistrict (tambon) in the northwestern part of Buntharik District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand. It covers 573 square kilometers and had 17,799 residents in 2021, living in about 5,558 households.

Location and neighbors:
Huai Kha borders Na Chaluai, Sok Saeng, Non Kho, and Phon Ngam to the west, and Laos districts Soukhoumma and Mounlapamok to the east and south.

History:
In the early 1800s, Thai, Laotian, Khmer, and Kuy communities moved into the area from Khukhan. They settled in a region that was once forested. The first settlement was named Huai Kha, after the Alpinia galanga plant found near streams. “Huai” means stream, and “Kha” refers to galanga.

Oldest tambon:
Huai Kha is one of Buntharik’s three oldest tambons, along with Phon Ngam and Kho Laen. In 1979, the northwestern village Non Kho became its own tambon by absorbing five nearby villages.

Administration:
Huai Kha was originally governed by a subdistrict council, which became a Subdistrict Administrative Organization (SAO) on January 20, 1996. Since 1997, the Huai Kha SAO has administered the area.

Geography:
The tambon lies in the southern part of Buntharik. About one-third of the area in the northwest is a rolling plateau where most people live; the rest is a mix of plains and highlands in the Dângrêk Mountains, which form the border with Laos.

Subdivisions:
Huai Kha is divided into 20 villages (muban). Three of them—Huai Kha, Nong Mek, and Sang Hom—are each divided into two communities (mu).