The name "City of Lotus" may sound less catchy when compared with two other giant provinces -- Chiang Mai ("Rose of the North") and Phuket ("Pearl of the Andaman"), but Pathum Thani officials are confident of an equally bright future.
While the scenic mountain views of Chiang Mai, and the idyllic beaches of Phuket, may cause many tourists simply to travel past the City of Lotus, Pathum Thani has set its sights on harnessing its potential to become a new "centre of Asean" due to the its rapidly expanding infrastructure which already supports a booming local economy and advanced education sector.
Pathum Thani governor Phinit Bunloet said development in the province is turning its past image of being an agricultural backwater upside down as industry, trade, research and even tourism are all growing exponentially to the huge benefit of its younger residents.
These factors will "pave the way for Pathum Thani to become a leading Asean city", he said.
Since the Association of South East Asian Nations, established the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015, authorities have talked a lot about their ambition to make Thailand a hub for regional aviation, centred around U-Tapao Airport in Rayong's Ban Chang district.
The plan is part of the much-touted Eastern Economic Corridor which aims to turn 30,000 rai of areas in Chon Buri, Rayong and Chachoengsao into a regional hotbed for new technology and smart industries.
In Mr Phinit's eyes, Pathum Thani, which covers 953,600 rai, also has the potential to be considered as a regional hub, especially if economic and educational development are taken into consideration.
The province houses 13 well-regarded educational institutions. Among the more famous are the Asian Institute of Technology and Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, not to mention Thammasat University's Rangsit campus. This environment makes the province ideal for the research and study of "new technologies for the region", the governor said.
Pathum Thani is also already a key economic base in Thailand, he added. Though 45% of the province is farmland, it is not just agricultural revenue that the province contributes to the country.
Today it is home to 4,000 factories, 16 large goods distribution centres and is a major destination for job seekers from all over Thailand.
People are forming new communities throughout the province. There are many large-scale housing estates and shopping malls, which have led to further development of the transport network and other necessary facilities to serve urbanisation, according to the governor.
Mr Phinit believes this environment, and its infrastructure, is conducive to a future for Pathum Thani as a centre of Asean and believes people in the province are ready to take part in this modern forward-thinking environment.
The English language will play a more important role in linking Thai people with the AEC, which has a unified market worth US$2.6 trillion and a combined population of more than 622 million.
"Students at all levels must sharpen up their English skills," Mr Phinit said, referring to one key policy that can help put Pathum Thani on the path to regional success.
He also hoped the younger generation of people can devise plans to make use of the cultural roots of Pathum Thani. Ecotourism programmes in the City of Lotus might be a good start, added the governor.
It is with grand ambition and plans such these, he said, that this city can follow in the footsteps of its mighty neighbour, the equally deftly named "City of Angels", Bangkok.
