TAO upgrades scheduled for 2011

While this year seems to quiet on the upgrades of Tambon administrative organizations (TAO) to municipalities - probably because few or none of the TAO councils end their term this year - in an article at ryt9 I already learned of the first upgrade planned for next year.

The TAO Sam Khok (องค์การบริหารส่วนตำบลสามโคก), Sam Khok district, Pathum Thani plans for a upgrade to a municipality in October 2011 - as the TAO was created in 1995 ([Gazette], this means 16 years have passed since its creation, and with the normal term of the TAO council being 4 years there need to be election in 2011 in this TAO anyway, so a good time to upgrade.

My rough translation of the news report goes as follows.

Mr. Enok Sombun (เอนก สมบุญ), chairman of Sam Khok TAO, Sam Khok district, Pathum Thani, said that the TAO is in the process of upgrading to a subdistrict municipality. In council meeting number 1 on June 11, all 8 council members agreed to apply for a municipal upgrade. The TAO has reached the necessary income of 20 million Baht and population of 5000. The council believes that with the upgrade the area will improve for development, infrastructure and tourism. The proposal is now submitted to the provincial administration and the Department of Local Administration (DOLA). They are set to take effect on October 1 2012.