Rename of two Muban in Lampang

Last week, the rename of two administrative villages in Lampang was published in the Royal Gazette. Signed by the province governor on June 21, it already became effective as of April 5 - the date when this rename was approved by the Board on Name Changes (more on that board next week).

The villages which changed names are both in Mai Phatthana subdistrict, Ko Kha district.

• Village 8 changes from Ban Santi Nikhom (บ้านสันตินิคม) to Ban Mae Pum Santi Suk (บ้านแม่ปุ้มสันติสุข), as the original name is synonymous with a nearby temple and thus could create confusion.
• Village 3 changes from Ban Khon Tham (บ้านดอนธรรม) to Ban Mae Pum Luang (บ้านแม่ปุ้มหลวง) to match the village name with the name of the temple in the village.

The two rationale seem to be contradicting, in one case the village is named after the temple, in the other case it is named to differ from the temple. However, nearby means not within the same village - Wat Santi Nikhom (วัดสันตินิคม) is located in village 2.