They left an inscription in Tamil. The tank was called "Avani Naaranam", the name of one of the Pallava Emperors of Tamil Nadu. The town was long administered by Nakhon Si Thammarat. In 1892 it was converted to a province, part of the Monthon Phuket. This province was merged into Phang Nga Province on 1 April 1932. The district, Talat Yai ('big market', ตลาดใหญ่), was then renamed Takua Pa. The district was an important tin-dredging area in the first half of the 20th century, with the English company, Siamese Tin Syndicate Ltd., and the Australian company, Satupulo No Liability Co., both operating dredges in the rivers, with narrow-gauge tramways following them upstream. The Asiatic Company also had a dredge and tramway further inland in Kapong District, depicted in the Thai film, The Tin Mine. Siamese Tin operated here at least as late as 1967, but Thai firms assumed operations by the early-1980s. By 2008 there were no remaining signs of mining, as plantations, particularly rubber, covered the former dredged areas. The public library at Takua Pa town has photographs on display of the dredging and sluicing operations in their heyday in the 1920s and 1930s. The former Asiatic Company workshops can also still be seen in Kapong town. The centre for the identification of bodies found after the 2004 tsunami is in the district. Opposite the identification centre is the cemetery where all unidentified foreign bodies have been buried. Laid out somewhat like the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Kanchanaburi. By late-2008 the cemetery was overgrown, run down, and inhabited by feral dogs. Administration Central administration Takua Pa district is divided into eight sub-districts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 51 administrative villages (mubans). Local administration There is one town (thesaban mueang) in the district: Takua Pa (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Takua Pa. There are two sub-district municipalities (thesaban tambon) in the district: Bang Nai Si (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Bang Nai Si. Khuek Khak (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Khuek Khak. There are four subdistrict administrative organizations (SAO) in the district: Bang Sai (Thai: ) consisting of sub-districts Bang Sai and Tam Tua. Bang Muang (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Bang Muang. Khok Khian (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Khok Khian. Ko Kho Khao (Thai: ) consisting of sub-district Ko Kho Khao. Takua Pa itself has town (thesaban mueang) status and covers the complete tambon Takua Pa.