Municipal upgrades announced in the Royal Gazette

Yesterday, two municipal status changes were announced in the Royal Gazette.

• Wiang Nuea (เทศบาลตำบลเวียงเหนือ), Wiang Chai district, Chiang Rai province was upgraded from a TAO to a subdistrict municipality effective May 21, the date the announcement was signed by Pracha Prasobdee (ประชา ประสพดี), Deputy Minister of the Interior. The change was approved in the board meeting on May 15, making it the first TAO upgrade of this year which made it to the Royal Gazette - though it is not the first TAO upgrade which became effective this year. Wiang Nuea became a TAO in 1997, thus it was upgraded after 4 terms.
• Pichai (เทศบาลเมืองพิชัย), Mueang Lampang district, Lampang province was upgraded from a subdistrict municipality to a town municipality. Phichai became a sanitary district in 1992, then like all the sanitary districts was upgraded to subdistrict municipality in 1999. The upgrade to a town was effective June 13, the day the terms of the current municipal council and mayor end. It was discussed in the same board meeting as Wiang Nuea, interestingly in that meeting also a rename to Phichai Lampang (พิชัยลำปาง) was discussed, but apparently this name change wasn't done.

It is again strange to see that some municipal changes get announced in the Royal Gazette very quickly - two months after being approved is a normal delay for announcements - but many many other municipal changes never get announced in the Royal Gazette and only get effective by ministerial order.