Tambon (Thai: ตำบล) is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district (amphoe, Thai: อำเภอ) and province (changwat, Thai: จังหวัด), they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2000 census there are 7254 tambon, not including the 154 kwaeng (แขวง) of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon. Tambon is usually translated to English as sub-district or municipal. Tambon are further subdivided into 69,307 villages (Mubaan, หมู่บ้าน), about 10 per tambon. Districts are a form of local government in several countries. ... A amphoe (sometimes also amphur, Thai: อำเภอ) is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. ... This article is about political regions. ... Thailand is divided into 76 Thai: จังหวัด, changwat, singular and plural), which are grouped into 5 groups of provinces - sometimes the East and Central are grouped together. ... Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 Bangkok, (in Thai กรุงเทพฯ, กรุงเทพมหานคร, or Krung Thep, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, IPA: ), population 8,538,610 (1990), is the capital and largest city of Thailand. ... A amphoe (sometimes also amphur, Thai: อำเภอ) is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...

History

Tambon as a subdivision are quite old already. They were the second-level subdivision of the area administrated by a provincial town in the 19th century. The governor of the province was supposed to appoint a commune elder (kamnan or phan). Phan also means 1000, which refers to the fact that a tambon was supposed to have about 1000 abled-bodied men. (Phan can be refer to a military title which is a Tambon governer.)

In the administrative reforms started in 1892 under Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, the first Thai minister of Interior, the three levels of subdivision of provinces were continued, i.e. start from district to tambon to the lowest level call mubann. Additionally in 1898 the first sukhaphiban (sanitation districts) were created, the sukhaphiban of Bangkok as the first urban and Tha Chalom as the first rural. As the name suggest their prime purpose was to oversee the sanitary development of the areas. 1892 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... HRH Prince Damrong Rajanubhab (Thai including his full title: สมเด็จพระเจ้าบรมวงศ์เธอ กรมพระยาดำรงราชานุภาพ) (June 21, 1862 - December 1, 1943) was the founder of the modern Thai education system as well as the modern provincial administration. ... A amphoe (sometimes also amphur, Thai: อำเภอ) is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

In the Local Administration Act of 2457 (1914) the roles of the subdivisions were first codified into law. Two levels of sukhaphiban were introduced, the sukhaphiban mueang for towns and sukhaphiban tambon for rural areas. 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

With the Tambon Council and Tambon Administrative Authority Act BE 2537 (1994) and later by the constitution of 1997 the tambon were decentralized into local government units with an elected Tambon Council. In a grace period 1994-1999 the kamnan was a member of the council, since then the council only consists of two elected representatives for each village. 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

One Tambon One Product

In 1999 the later Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra started a project, in which every tambon should select a typical local product. The project then does the promotion for the product, as well as assists in modernizing the production. Thaksin Shinawatra Thaksin Shinawatra (ทักษิณ ชินวัตร) (born July 26, 1949), Thai politician, is the current prime minister of Thailand and the leader of the populist Thai Rak Thai party. ...

External links

• ThaiTambon.com - One Tambon One Product
• Tambon Council and Tambon Administrative Authority Act BE 2537 (PDF)