DOPA to create amphoe.com 2.0?

Published on the website of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) on last Thursday was an announcement titled ศูนย์ข้อมูลอำเภอกรมการปกครอง (Data center of districts at DOPA). With my limited Thai and the help of online translators it seems that DOPA is planning a new Internet database for district data.

After giving some patent statements on the importance of IT for a modern and efficient district administration, the director-general of DOPA Wangsak Sawatphanit (วงศ์ศักดิ์ สวัสดิ์พาณิชย์) then reveals the plans to compile data necessary for the administration and present them centrally in one website. The data includes general data, map data and important projects. The data is to be entered and verified by the officers in the district offices.

The project starts this year with a test-drive with 20 districts, one from the each of the provinces Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Tak, Mae Hong Son, Nong Khai, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chaiyaphum, Prachinburi, Chonburi, Trat, Ratchaburi, Suphanburi, Chainat, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Pattani, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Phuket, and once successful to be expanded on all 878 districts.

And if I read the final section correctly, this new website is supposed to be accessible for everyone, to get reliable information on the districts easily, as well as a place for the districts to present themselves. It therefore sounds like replacing the existing website amphoe.com with a new database including more and better data. Since the districts are supposed to do their PR on this new site, I can only hope they won't forget to make the site bilingual to allow non-Thai to use it as well. I am quite curious to see what these 20 districts will look like on that new site. Hopefully it'll have more ways of giving feedback later in this project, right now it only has a phone number to call - even though I have not much hope to be heard I do have ideas what I would love to see in such a site inspired from my experiences in creating the Wikipedia articles on the districts.

Municipal decisions from June 30 2009

Meeting number 21 from June 30 2009 with 10 TAO upgraded to subdistrict municipalities.

• Nong Lom (เทศบาลตำบลหนองหล่ม), Hang Chat district, Lampang province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 80 km², 9 villages and 5,152 citizen.
• Lub (เทศบาลตำบลหลุบ), Mueang Kalasin district, Kalasin province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 46.14 km², 16 villages and 11,002 citizen.
• Na Dan (เทศบาลตำบลนาด่าน), Suwannakhuha district, Nong Bua Lamphu province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 76 km², 11 villages and 8,716 citizen.
• San Sai Ngam (เทศบาลตำบลสันทรายงาม), Thoeng district, Chiang Rai province, effective August 1 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 59.90 km², 7 villages and 4,192 citizen.
• Soem Khwa (เทศบาลตำบลเสริมขวา), Soem Ngam district, Lamphang province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 203.80 km², 12 villages and 7,378 citizen.
• Nong No (เทศบาลตำบลหนองโน), Kranuan district, Khon Kaen province, effective July 30 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 47.37 km², 7 villages and 6,137 citizen.
• Kan Lueang (เทศบาลตำบลก้านเหลือง), Waeng Noi district, Khon Kaen province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 59.51 km², 14 villages and 9,341 citizen.
• Dok Khamtai (เทศบาลตำบลดอกคำใต้), Dok Khamtai district, Phayao province, effective July 30 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 36.90 km², 9 villages and 4,335 citizen.
• Nong Krathum (เทศบาลตำบลหนองกระทุ่ม), Doem Bang Nang Buat district, Suphanburi province, effective on day of announcement. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 72.89 km², 9 villages and 4,881 citizen.
• Nong Krathum (เทศบาลตำบลหนองญาติ), Mueang Nakhon Phanom district, Nakhon Phanom province, effective August 1 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 78.43 km², 13 villages and 10,864 citizen.

Boriwen in Monthon Udon Thani

One administrative subdivision I don't know much about are the boriwen (บริเวณ, regions), which existed during the thesaphiban reforms in the beginning of the 20th century. So far, all I knew were these few sentences in Tej Bunnag's The provincial administration of Siam, 1892-1915

But since this still left vast areas with hardly any supervision, the monthon was subdivided into three administrative areas (boriwen) which were placed under area commissioners (khaluang boriwen). For the same reason, the north-eastern provinces were grouped into ten administrative areas which were divided equally between monthons Udon and Isan.

and a bit later

The new districts and communes in monthons Phayap, Udon and Isan were amalgamated into the administrative areas (boriwen) which had been created in 1900 and 1901. In 1907, the fact that Pattani, Yala and Saiburi and the administrative areas were going to become new provincial units was emphasized by their being given the new name of changwat.

and in the appendix it also gives a list of these regions with the towns under them. In fact, I wasn't aware of the second quotation until I recheck my scans of that book now.

The reason I did this was that I now first found the first trace of these entities in the Royal Gazette as well. While there are a lot of announcements with the word บริเวณ, none of them seems to refer to these entities mentioned above. But when I now worked through an announcement on the mueang in monthon Udon Thani published on January 12 1908. This includes the merge of four Mueang to form the new Mueang Udon Thani, the precursor of the modern-day province Udon Thani, mentions the two unchanged Mueang Nong Khai and the (later abolished) Phon Phisai, but most interestingly four entities which were previously Boriwen and now became Mueang:

• Boriwen Nam Chi (น้ำชี) becomes Mueang Khon Kaen
• Boriwen Nam Hueang (น้ำเหือง) becomes Mueang Loei
• Boriwen Sakon Nakhon becomes Mueang Sakon Nakhon
• Boriwen That Phanom (ธาตุพนม) becomes Mueang Nakhon Phanom

Sadly the announcement does not list the subdivisions - the appendix in Bunnag's book gives the Boriwen of Udon Thani as follows:

• Boriwen Makkhaeng consisting of Ban Makkhaeng (Udonthani), Nongkhai, Nonglahan, Kumphawapi, Kamutthasai, Phonphisai, and Rattanawapi
• Boriwen Phachi consisting of Khonkaen, Chonnabot, and Phuwiang
• Boriwen That Phanom consisting of Nakhon Phanom, Chaiburi, Tha Uthen and Mukdahan
• Boriwen Sakon consisting of Sakon Nakhon
• Boriwen Nam Huang consisting of Loei, Kaen Thao, Bo Tha

The two don't fit completely - Sakon is named Sakon Nakhon, and Phachi is Nam Chi; also the Boriwen Makkaeng isn't mentioned at all, and of the seven subdivisions Rattanawapi isn't mentioned at all, while Nong Khai and Phon Phisai continue to be at provincial level.

Municipal decisions for June 29 2009

Meeting number 20 of Board 1 from June 29 2009 with 12 TAO upgraded to subdistrict municipalities, all of them also renamed.

• Wiang Sa, Wiang Sa district, Surat Thani province, effective on July 30 2009, upgraded and renamed to Mueang Wiang (เทศบาลตำบลเมืองเวียง), to avoid confusion with the municipality Wiang Sa (เทศบาลตำบลเวียงสระ). The TAO was created in 1997, covers 51 km², 10 villages and 7,458 citizen.
• Chae Hom, Chae Hom district, Lampang province, effective on July 30 2009, upgraded and renamed to Rim Wang (เทศบาลตำบลริมวัง), to avoid confusion with the municipality Chae Hom (เทศบาลตำบลแจ้ห่ม). The TAO was created in 1996, covers 90.68 km², 7 villages and 4,476 citizen.
• San Sai, Saraphi district, Chiang Mai province, effective on April 1 2009, upgraded and renamed to San Sai Maha Wong (เทศบาลตำบลสันทรายมหาวงศ์), to avoid confusion with the municipality San Sai (เทศบาลตำบลสันทราย). The TAO was created in 1997, covers 10.50 km², 12 villages and 5,502 citizen.
• Nong Bua Daeng, Nong Bua Daeng district, Chaiyaphum province, effective on July 31 2009, upgraded and renamed to Luang Siri (เทศบาลตำบลหลวงศิริ), to avoid confusion with the municipality Nong Bua Daeng (เทศบาลตำบลหนองบัวแดง). The TAO was created in 1997, covers 186.97 km², 13 villages and 7,804 citizen.
• Kumphawaphi, Kumphawaphi district, Udon Thani province, effective on July 31 2009, upgraded and renamed to Mueang Mai (เทศบาลตำบลเมืองใหม่), to avoid confusion with the municipality Kumphawaphi (เทศบาลตำบลกุมภวาปี). The TAO was created in 1996, covers 35.80 km², 4 villages and 4,303 citizen.
• That Phanom, That Phanom district, Nakhon Phanom province, effective on August 1 2009, upgraded and renamed to That Phanom Tai (เทศบาลตำบลธาตุพนมใต้), to avoid confusion with the municipality That Phanom (เทศบาลตำบลธาตุพนม). The TAO was created in 1994, covers 40.50 km², 10 villages and 6,105 citizen.
• Hang Chat, Hang Chat district, Lampang province, effective on July 30 2009, upgraded and renamed to Hang Chat Cham Thewi (เทศบาลตำบลห้างฉัตรจามเทวี), to avoid confusion with the municipality Hang Chat (เทศบาลตำบลห้างฉัตร). The TAO was created in 1996, covers 65.77 km², 7 villages and 7,030 citizen.
• Mae Phrik, Mae Phrik district, Lampang province, effective on July 31 2009, upgraded and renamed to Mae Phrik Pha Pang (เทศบาลตำบลแม่พริกผาปัง), to avoid confusion with the municipality Mae Phrik (เทศบาลตำบลแม่พริก). The TAO was created in 1996, covers 342.08 km², 15 villages and 6,432 citizen.
• Phra Phutthabat, Chiang Klang district, Nan province, effective on July 31 2009, upgraded and renamed to Phra Phutthabat Chiang Khan (เทศบาลตำบลพระพุทธบาทเชียงคาน). The TAO was created in 1996, covers 39.84 km², 15 villages and 6,888 citizen.

Only listed in the table of contents and the attendees, for the following three changes no details are provided in transcript. I suppose it is simply a mistake in preparing the document.

• Don Tan, Don Tan district, Mukdahan province, upgraded and renamed to Don Tan Pha Suk (เทศบาลตำบลดอนตาลผาสุก), to avoid confusion with the municipality Don Tan (เทศบาลตำบลดอนตาล).
• Nong Kung Si, Nong Kung Si district, Kalasin province, upgraded and renamed to Kham Kao (เทศบาลตำบลคำก้าว), to avoid confusion with the municipality Nong Kung Si (เทศบาลตำบลหนองกุงศรี).
• Kaset Wisai, Kaset Wisai district, Roi Et province, upgraded and renamed to Mueang Khet (เทศบาลตำบลเมืองเกษ), to avoid confusion with the municipality Nong Kung Si (เทศบาลตำบลเกษตรวิสัย).

Meeting number 20 from June 29 2009 with 11 TAO upgraded to subdistrict municipalities.

• Dong Ling (เทศบาลตำบลดงลิง), Kamalasai district, Kalasin province, effective on publication. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 39.50 km², 17 villages and 10,394 citizen.
• Bueng Wichai (เทศบาลตำบลบึงวิชัย), Mueang Kalasin district, Kalasin province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 36.65 km², 9 villages and 6,111 citizen.
• Ban Khok (เทศบาลตำบลบ้านโคก), Mueang Mukdahan district, Mukdahan province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 97.79 km², 13 villages and 8,322 citizen.
• Nong Khaen (เทศบาลตำบลหนองแคน), Dong Luang district, Mukdahan province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 83.26 km², 7 villages and 4,716 citizen.
• Nong Noi (เทศบาลตำบลหนองน้อย), Wat Sing district, Chainat province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 40.52 km², 8 villages and 3,748 citizen.
• Nong Khun (เทศบาลตำบลหนองขุ่น), Wat Sing district, Chainat province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 50.52 km², 8 villages and 3,424 citizen.
• Bung Loet (เทศบาลตำบลบุ่งเลิศ), Moei Wadi district, Roi Et province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 17.50 km², 9 villages and 4,844 citizen.
• Chong Thanon (เทศบาลตำบลจองถนน), Khao Chaison district, Phatthalung province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 18 km², 7 villages and 3,641 citizen.
• Chong Thanon (เทศบาลตำบลวังแซ้ม), Ma Kham district, Chanthaburi province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 18 km², 7 villages and 3,641 citizen.
• Wang Saem (เทศบาลตำบลวังแซ้ม), Ma Kham district, Chanthaburi province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 58 km², 12 villages and 4,008 citizen.
• Nai Mueang (เทศบาลตำบลในเมือง), Ban Phai district, Khon Kaen province, effective July 31 2009. The TAO was created in 1997, covers 48.20 km², 9 villages and 8,551 citizen.
• Kok Ko (เทศบาลตำบลกกโก), Mueang Lopburi district, Lopburi province, effective July 30 2009. The TAO was created in 1996, covers 17.60 km², 8 villages and 8,383 citizen.

TAO 1958 till 1971

When I wrote on the abolishing of the TAO in 1972, I said that I did not succeed to match all the entities to their modern-day equivalent. But now I worked through the list again, and it turns out there were only three which I did not find directly, and only one was really a bit more difficult. All of these are from the 1958 announcement:

• Entry 10: พรมณี in Mueang Nakhon Nayok district, Nakhon Nayok. Seems like the spelling has changed, since the subdistrict is now named พรหมณี (Phrommani), or it was a misspelling in the announcement, forgetting the Ho Hieb (ห) which only changes the tone of the second syllable.
• Entry 49: หนองโพธิ์ (Nong Pho), Photharam district, Ratchaburi province, is now spelled หนองโพ - the anyway silent last syllable no longer written.
• Entry 28: ไก้จ้น (Kai Chan), Tha Ruea district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province. I now could find that this is in fact the subdistrict Tha Luang (ท่าหลวง). I even already had processed the announcement which contains the rename, but in that the subdistrict is spelled ไก่จ้น, a different tone for the first syllable. But since it is a different spelling it did not show in the search. I have no idea if the spelling was changed as well between 1958 and 1961, or which one of the the two announcements has the spelling mistake.

One more strange things - the document Decentralization and changing local politics in Thailand states

Other types of state-led local administrative bodies such as 71 PAO, 585 sanitary districts and 59 units of TAO during this period (the number is as of early 1970s).

But, there were 59 entities created in 1958, and one more (Ban Chiang, Nong Han district, Udon Thani province) in 1966, so it would be 60. Don't know which number I should believe, if there's anything not published (or not yet found) in the Gazette I am missing here.

Anyway, a small statistics of the distribution of these TAO show that only some provinces had TAO created then. Sorted by number these are Ayutthaya (11), Surat Thani, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Si Thammarat (6), Nakhon Sawan (5), Chachoengsao, Chiang Rai (including Phayao) (4), Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Nazok (3), Sakon Nakhon, Lampang, Phuket, Phichit (2) and Yala, Phetchabun, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani with one. Thus by region it is 24 in central Thailand, 15 in the south, 14 in the north and only 7 in the north-east.

Of these 60 TAO, 5 are now municipalities after being recreated as TAOs in the 1990s:

• Ratsada (รัษฎา), Mueang Phuket, Phuket
• Pla Lo (ปลาโหล), Waritchaphum, Sakon Nakhon
• Thung Luang (ทุ่งหลวง), Pak Tho, Ratchaburi
• Chun (จุน), Chun, Phayao (then Chiang Rai)
• Bang Wua (บางวัว), Bang Pakong, Chachoengsao

Another eight were not recreated in the 1990s, probably due to a sanitary district or municipality already covering most or all of the subdistrict.

• Maret (มะเร็ต), Ko Samui, Surat Thani
• Lom Raet (ล้อมแรด), Thoen, Lampang
• Pho Hak (โพหัก), Bang Phae, Ratchaburi
• Don Tako (ดอนตะโก), Mueang Ratchaburi, Ratchaburi
• Tha Chang (ท่าช้าง), Nakhon Luang, Ayutthaya
• Bang Pramung (บางประมุง), Krok Phra, Nakhon Sawan
• Kao Liao (เก้าเลี้ยว), Kao Liao, Nakhon Sawan
• Chan Chawa (จันจว้า), Mae Chan, Chiang Rai

Tambon area clarification in Inburi, Singburi and Khlong Hat, Sa Kaeo

Published on August 20 were two announcements with subdistrict area definitions. Both only list some of the subdistricts of the respective district, and like the previous similar announcements include the lists of administrative villages (Muban) within the subdistricts affected.

First one is on Khlong Hat district, Sa Kaeo province, defining the boundaries of 3 out of the 7 subdistricts within this district. In fact, it must be the boundaries of Klong Hat subdistrict to the other two listed which has been modified.

• Benchakhon (เบญจขร), 10 Muban
• Khlong Hat (คลองหาด), 13 Muban
• Thai Udom (ไทยอุดม), 9 Muban

Directly following on the next pages in the Gazette is the second one, on In Buri district, Singburi province. 4 out of the 10 subdistricts, all bounding In Buri subdistrict, have been changed.

• Prasuk (ประศุก), 11 Muban
• Huai Chan (ห้วยชัน), 10 Muban
• In Buri (อินทร์บุรี), 10 Muban
• Thap Ya (ทับยา), 12 Muban

King Amphoe named after the parent Amphoe

In the early 20th century it had several minor districts (King Amphoe, กิ่งอำเภอ, sometimes also named just King กิ่ง) which had the same name as the neighboring district from which they were split off, and which they were subordinated to. If I am not mistaken, then these minor districts were in fact covering the central part of the district, and not outlying parts. In the list of districts from 1917 it has the following cases.

• Phra Phutthabat (พระพุทธบาท), Saraburi. In 1917 the parent district was renamed from Phra Phutthabat to Nong Don. Nong Don was renamed to Ban Mo in 1944. I don't know when Phra Phutthabat to upgraded from minor district to a full district however to confirm the minor district in 1917 was in fact the area around the temple Wat Phra Phutthabat.
• Thung Maphrao (ทุ่งมะพร้าว), Phang Nga. In 1917 the parent district was renamed from Thung Maphrao to Thai Mueang. The minor district was abolished in 1938 and merged into the district Thai Mueang.
• Tha Luang (ท่าหลวง), Chanthaburi. In 1917 the minor district was renamed to Kamphut (กำพุช), while the main district was renamed to Makham. In 1939 Kamphut was renamed to Pong Nam Ron, which became a full district in 1941.
• Chiang Saen (เชียงแสน), Chiang Rai. In 1925 the minor district was abolished, in 1927 a new minor district named Chiang Saen Luang was recreated. In 1939 the district Chiang Saen was renamed to Mae Chan, while Chiang Saen Luang became Chiang Saen. In 1957 Chiang Saen finally was upgraded to a full district.
• Hot (ฮอด), Chiang Mai. In 1905 the district Muet Ka (มืดกา) was abolished and instead the district Mueang Hot and the minor district Mueang Hot were created (Gazette). I don't know what happened with them, as in the 1917 announcement only the district Mueang Hot was mentioned and renamed to Hot.