Sam Phran is the southernmost district (amphoe) of Nakhon Pathom Province, Thailand. The district was established in 1896, then named Talat Mai District. It was renamed Sam Phran in 1917. The word Sam Phran meaning 'three hunters', refers to the form of oral tradition in folklore.
The district is elongated in an east-west direction and neighbouring districts are (from the north clockwise) Mueang Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Chai Si, and Phutthamonthon of Nakhon Pathom Province, Thawi Watthana and Nong Khaem of Bangkok, Krathum Baen and Ban Phaeo of Samut Sakhon Province, and Bang Phae of Ratchaburi Province. The main water resource of the district is the large Tha Chin River or Nakhon Chai Si River which meanders through the district in a southeasterly direction.
Sam Phran District has evolved as a ribbon development of tambons (sub-districts) along Phetkasem Road, a major thoroughfare linking Bangkok with the cities of Nakhon Pathom and Kanchanaburi.
As in most of central Thailand, the people are a mix of Thai and Chinese ethnic origins. The local population also includes a large number of people who have migrated from Isan, Thailand's northeastern region, to be part of the labour force in the many factories in the area. Sampran has a very high percentage of Roman Catholic Christians.
Sam Phran is well known for its large number of clothing and apparel factories, many of which work exclusively as out-sourced labour centres for famous international brands. Intensive pig farming is another major economic activity. Of the two main townships, Sam Phran City retains the aspect of a country town while Om Yai is on Phetkasem Road and is a busy shopping, business, market, and factory area, with modern facilities including malls, clinics, and hospitals.
The Tha Kham Sub-district (usually written Takham), is the centre of the Roman Catholic Christian religion in Thailand. Michael Michai Kitbunchu, Cardinal of Thailand, was born in Sam Phran and many Catholic religious institutes have their convents, monasteries, and headquarters in the area as well as Thailand's major seminary. Sam Phran is the site of the National Police Academy and numerous other colleges including St. Joseph Intertechnology College, a Catholic vocational school and teacher training centre also governed by the EDBA.
The district is divided into 16 sub-districts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 137 villages (muban). Sam Phran is a town (thesaban mueang) and Om Yai a sub-district municipality (thesaban tambon). There are a further 15 tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

Source: Wikipedia