Local government entities of Phuket province

As Phuket is one of the smallest provinces it's very easy to give a complete listing of the central and local administration divisions in a single posting without becoming too lengthy.

For the central administration it's three districts, Mueang Phuket (เมืองภูเก็ต), Kathu (กะทู้) and Thalang (ถลาง). These are further subdivided into 17 subdistricts, and 103 villages. Not all of the subdistricts have villages however - Talad Yai and Talad Nuea as part of the city Phuket, and Pa Tong as part of the same-named town don't have this subdivision anymore. I am not sure about Kathu, the city website lists 14 chumchon instead of the 8 muban it had in my latest list.

The local government entities are more diverse and has experienced more changes recently. Right now there are nine municipalities, one city (Phuket, ภูเก็ต), two towns (Patong, ป่าตอง and Kathu, กะทู้), and six subdistrict municipalities: Karon (กะรน), Choeng Thale (เชิงทะเล), Thep Krasattri (เทพกระษัตรี), Ratsada (รัษฎา), Rawai (ราไวย์) and Wichit (วิชิต). There are further nine Tambon administrative organizations (TAO).

Originally, Phuket had 13 TAO - of which twelve were created in 1995, and Pa Khlok (ป่าคลอก) in 1996. Karon had been merged into the subdistrict municipality Karon in 2004, and the other three Ratsada, Rawai and Wichit were upgraded into subdistrict municipalities effective August 30 2007.

Of these TAO, Karon, Thep Krasattri and Choeng Thale cover (or covered) only parts of a subdistricts, as the other parts are covered by a municipality. The others cover the complete subdistrict. For the municipalities it's the other way round - Phuket covers two subdistricts, Thep Krasattri and Choeng Thale parts of a subdistrict, and the other six each a whole subdistrict. Originally, when the sanitary district Kathu was created in 1956, it covered only part of the subdistrict Kathu. In 1967 it was enlarged to include the area of Patong, and in 1986 Patong became a separate sanitary district, so since then both cover exactly one subdistrict.

Though I have listed Kathu as a town above, in fact it will become a town effective July 14, as decided into the board meeting 33/2008. Phuket was upgraded to city status in 2004, Patong to town status in 2002.

Phuket was already a town since 1935, the other municipal areas as of today started as either TAO or as one of the five sanitary districts created between 1955 and 1987. Patong was the first of the sanitary districts to be upgraded to a subdistrict municipality in 1994, the other four were upgraded in 1999 when all the sanitary districts of Thailand were upgraded.

Finally, two TAO were created in 1955 - Ratsada and Si Sunthon (ศรีสุนทร) - but I am still not sure yet when this first generation of TAO was abolished again.

So below is a map with those local and central government offices I know so far. I could find two of the TAO with PointAsia, the district offices and those within Phuket city I had looked for quite some time ago to geotag the Wikipedia articles. Any additions or corrections to this map is of course welcome.
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