Pathum Thani, originally called Sam Khok, traces its history back over 300 years to the era of King Narai of Ayutthaya. Around 1659, Mon people fleeing war in Burma were granted refuge in the area, and subsequent migrations in the Thonburi and early Rattanakosin periods expanded the Mon community further. King Rama II, deeply moved by the Mon people’s offering of lotus flowers during his 1815 visit, renamed the city Pathum Thani, meaning "City of Lotus." Pathum Thani officially became a province in 1916, transitioning from a town under Ayutthaya’s administration to an administrative division.

Today, Pathum Thani is a central province bordering Bangkok to the south and intersected by the Chao Phraya River, dividing it into eastern and western parts. This location has shaped Pathum Thani’s unique flood management system, with canals and reservoirs on its east side mitigating flooding more effectively than the west. The province’s seven districts, such as Mueang Pathum Thani, Sam Khok, Thanyaburi, and Khlong Luang, showcase its cultural and administrative growth. The creation of the city pillar shrine in 1978 further unified Pathum Thani’s community, with the shrine symbolizing both provincial pride and heritage.