| Official Name: | Tha Ruea |
| Native Name: | ท่าเรือ |
| Native Name Lang: | th |
| Settlement Type: | District |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Thailand |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Ayutthaya |
| Subdivision Type2: | Seat |
| Subdivision Name2: | Tha Chao Sanook |
| Subdivision Type3: | Tambon |
| Subdivision Name3: | 10 |
| Subdivision Type4: | Muban |
| Subdivision Name4: | 84 |
| Established Title: | District established |
| Population Total: | 46,925[1] |
| Population As Of: | 2018 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Postal code |
| Blank Info Sec1: | 13130 |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Geocode |
| Blank Info Sec2: | 1402 |
| Timezone: | ICT |
| Utc Offset: | +7 |
| Coordinates: | 14.5517°N 100.7275°W |
Tha Ruea (in Thai pronounced as /tʰâː rɯ̄a̯/) is a district (amphoe) in northeastern part of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, central Thailand.
The original name of the district was Nakhon Noi.[2] In 1917, it was renamed Tha Ruea to commemorate an important event within the district. When the hunter Bun found the Buddha's footprint in Sara Buri province, King Songtham travelled by royal barge along the Pa Sak River to worship. He moored his royal barge in the district, and continued his travel overland. His route has since become a royal tradition, as later kings always travelled by this way to worship Buddha's footprint in Wat Phra Phutthabat. The Thai word "tha ruea" means "port" or "pier".
In 1965, Tha Ruea was the scene of a major robbery by three gangs, totaling 17 people. The robberies were a wet market and a police station. The robbers brazenly shot at the police station, as if they had no fear of the law. Eventually, the robbers were caught, some of them were extrajudicially executed, and six were sentenced to public firing squads the following year. The event inspired the 2004 film Siames Outlaws.[3]
Neighbouring districts are (from the north clockwise) Don Phut, Ban Mo, Sao Hai, Nong Saeng of Saraburi province, and Phachi and Nakhon Luang of Ayutthaya Province.
The district is divided into 10 subdistricts (tambons), which are further subdivided into 84 villages (mubans).
| Name | Thai | Vil. | Pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tha Ruea | Thai: ท่าเรือ | - | 6,768 | |
| 2 | Champa | Thai: จำปา | 9 | 8,760 | |
| 3 | Tha Luang | Thai: ท่าหลวง | 10 | 5,856 | |
| 4 | Ban Rom | Thai: บ้านร่อม | 9 | 3,073 | |
| 5 | Sala Loi | Thai: ศาลาลอย | 15 | 4,794 | |
| 6 | Wang Daeng | Thai: วังแดง | 8 | 3,185 | |
| 7 | Pho En | Thai: โพธิ์เอน | 6 | 3,143 | |
| 8 | Pak Tha | Thai: ปากท่า | 8 | 2,882 | |
| 9 | Nong Khanak | Thai: หนองขนาก | 10 | 4,561 | |
| 10 | Tha Chao Sanook | Thai: ท่าเจ้าสนุก | 9 | 3,903 | |
| Total: | 84 | 46,925 |
As of 31 December 2018 there are two subdistrict municipalities (thesaban tambon) in the district. The non-municipal areas are administered by nine Subdistrict Administrative Organizations - SAO (ongkan borihan suan tambon).
| 1 | Tha Luang subdistrict municipality | Pop. | |
| Subdistrict Champa | 5,873 | ||
| Subdistrict Tha Luang | 2,900 | ||
| Total population | 8,773 | ||
| 2 | Tha Ruea subdistrict municipality | 6,768 |
| Name | Thai | Pop. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Champa SAO | Thai: จำปา | 2,887 | |
| 2 | Tha Luang SAO | Thai: ท่าหลวง | 2,956 | |
| 3 | Ban Rom SAO | Thai: บ้านร่อม | 3,073 | |
| 4 | Sala Loi SAO | Thai: ศาลาลอย | 4,794 | |
| 5 | Wang Daeng SAO | Thai: วังแดง | 3,185 | |
| 6 | Pho En SAO | Thai: โพธิ์เอน | 3,143 | |
| 7 | Pak Tha SAO | Thai: ปากท่า | 2,882 | |
| 8 | Nong Khanak SAO | Thai: หนองขนาก | 4,561 | |
| 9 | Tha Chao Sanook SAO | Thai: ท่าเจ้าสนุก | 3,903 | |
| Total: | 31,384 |