Provinces of Thailand

Provinces of Thailand
  • Also known as:
  • changwat (จังหวัด)
CategoryUnitary state
LocationKingdom of Thailand
Number76 provinces + 1 special administrative area (Bangkok)
Populations174,000 (Mae Hong Son) – 5,702,000 (Bangkok) (2022)[1]
Areas414 km2 (160 sq mi) Samut Songkhram – 20,736 km2 (8,006 sq mi) Nakhon Ratchasima[2]
Government
Subdivisions

The provinces of Thailand are administrative divisions of the government of Thailand.[3] The country is divided into 76 provinces (Thai: จังหวัด, RTGS: changwat, pronounced [t͡ɕāŋ.wàt̚]) proper, with one additional special administrative area (the capital, Bangkok).[4][5][6] They are the primary local government units and act as juristic persons. They are divided into amphoe (districts) which are further divided into tambon (sub districts), the next lower level of local government.

All provinces form part of the partially devolved central government, or the regional government (ราชการส่วนภูมิภาค ratchakan suan phumiphak). Majority of public services, including police, prison, transport, public relation and others are still overseen and managed by the province on behalf of the central government. In 1938–1996, the Royal Thai Government proposed that each province should have a council, elected from people resided within that province. The council acts as an advisory and auditing body to the governor (ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด phu wa ratchakan changwat), who is appointed by the central government. In 1997, each province has its own provincial administrative organization (องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัด ongkan borihan suan changwat), presided over by the president. The PAO manages some public services related to the province. It was expected that the PAO president will become the elected governor (instead of a centrally-appointed one), but the full devolution of the government has not happened. The PAO as well as other municipalities form part of the local self-governing government (ราชการส่วนท้องถิ่น ratchakan suan thongthin).

Bangkok, the sole special administrative area, combines the tasks of the provinces with that of a municipality, including having an elected governor. The average area of the 76 provinces of Thailand plus Bangkok is about 6,663.89 km2 (2,572.94 sq mi), while its average population of all 77 divisions of Thailand is about 908,064 people.

  1. ^ รายงานสถิติจำนวนประชากรและบ้านประจำปี พ.ศ.2562 [Statistics, population and house statistics for the year 2019]. Registration Office Department of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior. stat.bora.dopa.go.th (in Thai). 31 December 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  2. ^ "ตารางที่ 2 พี้นที่ป่าไม้ แยกรายจังหวัด พ.ศ.2562" [Table 2 Forest area Separate province year 2019]. Royal Forest Department (in Thai). 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021, information, Forest statistics Year 2019, Thailand boundary from Department of Provincial Administration in 2013.
  3. ^ Office of the Council of State of Thailand, National Administration Act 1991 and its amendments.
  4. ^ "Administrative information". Department of Provincial Affairs (DOPA). Provincial Affairs Bureau. 21 April 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  5. ^ "ประกาศสำนักทะเบียนกลาง เรื่อง จำนวนราษฎรทั่วราชอาณาจักร ตามหลักฐานการทะเบียนราษฎร ณ วันที่ 31 ธันวาคม 2558" [Announcement of the Central Registry. The number of people throughout the Kingdom. The evidence of registration as of 31 December 2015]. Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA). Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  6. ^ "The World Factbook: Thailand". U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 13 June 2018.