Khwaeng of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is one of the few municipalities which have an additional subdivision into subdistricts (Khwaeng, แขวง). Though I don't know yet the history or actual tasks of these subdistricts, and their relation to the boroughs (Chumchon), I have now found them actually mentioned in the Royal Gazette in an publication where I did not expect them. In 2003, the constituencies for the municipal council were defined and published in the Royal Gazette.

Now, as Chiang Mai is a city municipality (Thesaban Nakhon), the municipal council has 24 members, elected in four constituencies with 6 councilors each. These four constituencies are defined as follows

• Constituency 1: แขวงนครพิงค์ (Khwaeng Nakhon Ping)
• Constituency 2: แขวงกาวิละ (Khwaeng Kawila)
• Constituency 3: แขวงเม็งราย (Khwaeng Mengrai)
• Constituency 4> แขวงศรีวิชัย (Kwaeng Siwichai)

Thus the constituencies directly coincide with the subdistricts. Yet for Nonthaburi, the other municipality which I know to have Khwaeng, the constituencies are not defined like this. Whether the subdistricts for Chiang Mai came first and had similar population numbers and could thus be used as constituencies later on, or were created simultaneously with the constituencies i an open question. I haven't been able to find any announcements in the Royal Gazette on the creation of these subdistricts, and even the website of Chiang Mai does not give much detail on them either.