Organization of the government of Thailand

Ordinary local government (ราชการส่วนท้องถิ่นรูปแบบทั่วไป) is of two forms.

1. Old form (แบบเก่า) under the Local Government Act, Buddhist Era 2457 (1914) (พระราชบัญญัติลักษณะปกครองท้องที่พุทธศักราช 2457) – Under this form, the subdistricts (ตำบล tambon) are established in the districts and minor districts. Each subdistrict is led by a subdistrict chief (กำนัน kamnan) and is divided into villages (หมู่บ้าน mu ban). Each village is led by a village chief (ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน phu yai ban; literally "village elder").
2. New form (แบบใหม่) under the Municipalities Act, BE 2496 (1953) (พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล พ.ศ. 2496), the Subdistrict Councils and Subdistrict Administrative Organisations Act, BE 2537 (1995) (พระราชบัญญัติสภาตำบลและองค์การบริหารส่วนตำบล พ.ศ. 2537), and the Provincial Administrative Organisations Act, BE 2540 (1997) (พระราชบัญญัติองค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัด พ.ศ. 2540) – The local government under this form is adopted in every province and consists of:[12]
   1. 2,442 municipalities (เทศบาล thetsaban) which are divided into 30 city municipalities (เทศบาลนคร thetsaban nakhon), 179 town municipalities (เทศบาลเมือง thetsaban mueang) and 2,233 subdistrict municipalities (เทศบาลตำบล thetsaban tambon);[7]
   2. administrative organisations (องค์การบริหาร ong kan borihan) which are divided into 76 provincial administrative organisations - PAO (องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัด ong kan borihan suan changwat) and 5,332 subdistrict administrative organisations - SAO (องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบล ong kan borihan suan tambon), these are for the local communities, which are not connected to a thetsaban.[7]

Village chiefs are elected by local citizens.[13] The chiefs of the villages in a subdistrict elect one of their number to also serve as the chief of the subdistrict.[14] According to the Municipalities Act, BE 2496 (1953), when the new form of local government is adopted in any locality, the Minister of Interior may revoke the old form for that locality.[15]

A city municipality is established in an area where there are at least 50,000 citizens, a town municipality, in an area where there are at least 10,000 citizens, and a subdistrict municipality, in any other area.[16] The government of each municipality is divided into two branches: the executive branch led by a mayor (นายกเทศมนตรี nayok thetsamontri) and the legislative branch led by a municipal council (สภาเทศบาล sapha thetsaban).[17] The mayors and the municipal councillors are directly elected by the local citizens.[18]

As for an administrative organisation, the government is also divided into two branches: the executive branch led by an administrative organisation chief (นายกองค์การบริหาร nayok ong kan borihan) and the legislative branch led by an administrative organisation council (สภาองค์การบริหาร sapha ong kan borihan). The administrative organisation chiefs and councillors are directly elected by the local citizens.[19]

Special local government (ราชการส่วนท้องถิ่นรูปแบบพิเศษ) is established in some significant localities. Currently, this type of local government is found in:

1. Bangkok, called Bangkok Metropolitan Administration - BMA (กรุงเทพมหานคร Krung Thep Maha Nakhon) according to the Bangkok Metropolis Administrative Organisation Act, BE 2528 (1985) (พระราชบัญญัติระเบียบบริหารราชการกรุงเทพมหานคร พ.ศ. 2528), and
2. Pattaya, called Pattaya City (เมืองพัทยา Mueang Phatthaya; literally "Pattaya Town") pursuant to the Pattaya City Administrative Organisation Act, BE 2542 (1999) (พระราชบัญญัติระเบียบบริหารราชการเมืองพัทยา พ.ศ. 2542).

The governments of Bangkok and Pattaya are divided into two branches: executive and legislative.

Bangkok: the executive branch is led by the Governor of Bangkok (ผู้ว่าราชการกรุงเทพมหานคร Phu Wa Ratchakan Krung Thep Maha Nakhon) and the legislative branch is led by the Council of Bangkok (สภากรุงเทพมหานคร Sapha Krung Thep Maha Nakhon). The territory of Bangkok is divided into districts (เขต khet).[20] There are now 50 districts. The government of each district is also divided into two branches: the executive branch led by a district director (ผู้อำนวยการเขต phu amnuai kan khet) and the legislative branch led by a district council (สภาแขวง sapha khwaeng).[21] Each district is then divided into subdistricts (แขวง khwaeng).[20] There are now 180 subdistricts. Each subdistrict is led by a subdistrict head (หัวหน้าแขวง hua na khwaeng).

The Governor of Bangkok and the Councillors of Bangkok are directly elected by the citizens of Bangkok.[22] The district directors and the subdistrict heads are appointed by the Governor of Bangkok from amongst the Bangkok metropolitan officers (ข้าราชการกรุงเทพมหานคร), whilst the district councillors are directly elected by the local citizens.[23]

Pattaya:, the executive branch is led by the Mayor of Pattaya (นายกเมืองพัทยา Nayok Mueang Phatthaya) and the legislative branch is led by the Council of Pattaya (สภาเมืองพัทยา Sapha Mueang Phatthaya). The Mayor of Pattaya and the Councillors of Pattaya are directly elected by the citizens of Pattaya.[24]

There is a plan to adopt the special local government in Chiang Mai, which would turn Chiang Mai Province into Chiang Mai Metropolis (เชียงใหม่มหานคร Chiang Mai Maha Nakhon). The plan was proposed to the National Assembly by the citizens of Chiang Mai in October 2013.[25] However, it is regarded by the conservatives as separatism.[26]

There is also a plan to establish Mae Sot City (นครแม่สอด Nakhon Mae Sot) in Tak Province. The city would cover the current areas of Mae Sot City Municipality (เทศบาลนครแม่สอด) and Tha Sai Luat Subdistrict Municipality (เทศบาลตำบลท่าสายลวด). The plan would also result in the dissolution of both municipalities.[27]