Amphoe
Encyclopedia
An amphoe is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand
. Usually translated as district
, amphoe make up the provinces
, and are analogous to a county seat
. Amphoe are further subdivided into tambon
.
Altogether Thailand has 878 districts, not including the 50 districts of Bangkok
which are called khet (เขต) since the Bangkok administration reform in 1972. The number of amphoe in a province differs, from only 3 in the smallest provinces up to the 50 urban districts of Bangkok
. Also the sizes and population of the amphoe differs greatly, the lowest population being in Ko Kut (Trat Province
) with just 2042 citizens, while Mueang Samut Prakan
(Samut Prakan Province
) has 435,122 citizens. The khet of Bangkok have the smallest areas – Khet Samphanthawong
is the smallest with only 1.4 km² – while the amphoe of the sparsely populated mountain regions are bigger than some provinces – Umphang
(Tak Province
) with 4,325.4 km² is the largest and also has the lowest population density.
The names of the Amphoe are usually unique, but in a few cases different Thai names have the same form in English due to the flaws of the romanization system. The notable exception, however, is the name Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat
, which was given to five districts created in 1996 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
's ascension to the throne. Chaloem Phra Kiat (Thai: เฉลิมพระเกียรติ) is an honorific way of addressing a member of the royal family.
Each district is led by a District Chief Officer (Nai Amphoe, นายอำเภอ), who is appointed by the Ministry of the Interior. The officer is a subordinate of the provincial governor.
, where the capital district is named Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
(instead of Amphoe Mueang Ayutthaya) – the same as the province, which is fully named Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Also the capital districts of Thonburi and Phra Nakhon provinces had the same name as the province, which they kept when the two provinces were merged to form Bangkok metropolis.
In most cases the capital district is also the most populous district of the province, as the provincial administration is usually located at the largest town of the province. Songkhla Province
is the most striking exception, as the town (and thus also the district) Hat Yai
grew much faster than the capital Songkhla
due to its better transport connection.
There are four districts in Thailand (Chan
, Pan
, Suang
, Yang) which contain the term Mueang in their name as well, even though they are not capital districts. All of these were created relatively recently between 1973 and 1995.
and then they live happly ever after.. lol
was a minor district for 85 years until it was upgraded in 1988. Sometimes a district was downgraded to a minor district as well, like Thung Wa
which lost a lot of its population to neighboring La-ngu minor district
, so finally La-ngu was upgraded and Thung Wa downgraded. Another example is Chumphon Buri
, which was reduced after the more developed part was split off to form a new district and the remaining district was downgraded.
The qualification necessary is a population of at least 30,000 people and at least 5 tambon, or if the area is more than 25 km away from the district office a population of at least 15,000 and 4 tambon.
A minor district is led by a chief officer (Hua Na King Amphoe, หัวหน้ากิ่งอำเภอ).
The Thai word King (กิ่ง) means branch and should not be confused with the English word King. The officially recommended translation is minor district – however they are also quite commonly translated as subdistrict, which is the recommended translation for tambon, and also wrongly suggests that they are at a lower administrative level than the Amphoe.
The Thai government decided to upgrade all remaining 81 minor districts to full districts on May 15, 2007 in order to facilitate their administration. With the publishing in the Royal Gazette on August 24 the upgrade became official.
, which makes the district the most important of the administrative levels for the general Thai people.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. Usually translated as district
District
Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities.-Austria:...
, amphoe make up the provinces
Provinces of Thailand
Thailand is divided into 76 provinces , which are geographically grouped into 6 regions. The capital Bangkok is not a province but a special administrative area and is included as the 77th province since it is administered at the same level as the other 76 provinces. The name of the provinces are...
, and are analogous to a county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
. Amphoe are further subdivided into tambon
Tambon
Tambon is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district and province , they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2009 there are 7255 tambon, not including the 169 khwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon...
.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
which are called khet (เขต) since the Bangkok administration reform in 1972. The number of amphoe in a province differs, from only 3 in the smallest provinces up to the 50 urban districts of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Also the sizes and population of the amphoe differs greatly, the lowest population being in Ko Kut (Trat Province
Trat Province
Trat is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, and has borders with Chanthaburi Province to the northwest, Cambodia to the east, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south.Trat is most famous for gemstone mining and trading....
) with just 2042 citizens, while Mueang Samut Prakan
Amphoe Mueang Samut Prakan
Mueang Samut Prakan is the capital district of Samut Prakan Province, central Thailand. The district has the highest population of all districts of Thailand.-Tourist attractions:...
(Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan Province
Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighboring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east....
) has 435,122 citizens. The khet of Bangkok have the smallest areas – Khet Samphanthawong
Samphanthawong
Samphanthawong is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district in area but has the highest population density of Bangkok's districts...
is the smallest with only 1.4 km² – while the amphoe of the sparsely populated mountain regions are bigger than some provinces – Umphang
Amphoe Umphang
Umphang is the southernmost district of Tak Province, Thailand at the Thai-Myanmar border. It is also the name of the town center of the district....
(Tak Province
Tak Province
Tak is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani and Kanchanaburi...
) with 4,325.4 km² is the largest and also has the lowest population density.
The names of the Amphoe are usually unique, but in a few cases different Thai names have the same form in English due to the flaws of the romanization system. The notable exception, however, is the name Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat
Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat
There are five Amphoe named Chaloem Phra Kiat in Thailand. All were created in 1996 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascension to the throne, becoming effective on December 5th, the birthday of the King...
, which was given to five districts created in 1996 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
's ascension to the throne. Chaloem Phra Kiat (Thai: เฉลิมพระเกียรติ) is an honorific way of addressing a member of the royal family.
Each district is led by a District Chief Officer (Nai Amphoe, นายอำเภอ), who is appointed by the Ministry of the Interior. The officer is a subordinate of the provincial governor.
Amphoe Mueang
The district which contains the administration office of the province is the Amphoe Mueang (lit. town district). The district should not to be confused with the capital town itself, which is a different administrative entity usually much smaller than the district. Until the 1930s most of the capital districts had names just like other districts, where as districts dating back to old provinces had the word Mueang in their name. In 1938 all the capital districts were renamed to Amphoe Mueang, whereas in all non-capital districts the Mueang was removed from the name. The notable exception to this rule is AyutthayaAyutthaya Province
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is one of the central provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Ang Thong, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Suphan Buri....
, where the capital district is named Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Amphoe Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya
Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is the capital district of Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, central Thailand.-History:Created in 1897, the district was originally called Rop Krung . The district name was changed to Krung Kao in 1917. In 1957 the name was changed to Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. to...
(instead of Amphoe Mueang Ayutthaya) – the same as the province, which is fully named Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Also the capital districts of Thonburi and Phra Nakhon provinces had the same name as the province, which they kept when the two provinces were merged to form Bangkok metropolis.
In most cases the capital district is also the most populous district of the province, as the provincial administration is usually located at the largest town of the province. Songkhla Province
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
is the most striking exception, as the town (and thus also the district) Hat Yai
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is a city in southern Thailand near the Malaysian border. Located at , it has a population of 157,359 in the city itself and about 800,000 in the greater Hat Yai area. Hat Yai is the largest city of Songkhla Province, the largest metropolitan area in Southern, and third largest...
grew much faster than the capital Songkhla
Songkhla
Songkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
due to its better transport connection.
There are four districts in Thailand (Chan
Amphoe Mueang Chan
Mueang Chan is a district of Sisaket Province, northeastern Thailand.-History:The minor district was created on April 1 1992, when three tambon were split off from Uthumphon Phisai district...
, Pan
Amphoe Mueang Pan
Mueang Pan is a district in the northern part of Lampang Province, northern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Wiang Pa Pao of Chiang Rai Province, Wang Nuea, Chae Hom and Mueang Lampang of Lampang Province, and Mae On and Doi Saket of Chiang Mai Province.-History:The minor district ...
, Suang
Amphoe Mueang Suang
Mueang Suang is a district of Roi Et Province, in northeastern Thailand.-Geography:The district is located in the central part of Roi Et province...
, Yang) which contain the term Mueang in their name as well, even though they are not capital districts. All of these were created relatively recently between 1973 and 1995.
and then they live happly ever after.. lol
King Amphoe
Minor districts (King Amphoe, กิ่งอำเภอ) are set up when the administration of areas remote to the district center gets too uncomfortable for the citizen. Most of the tasks of the Amphoe are transferred to the King Amphoe, but it is still partially a subordinate of the Amphoe it was created from. Once the King Amphoe meets the necessary qualifications to become an Amphoe, it is usually promoted. However, not every newly created Amphoe has to begin as a King Amphoe: if the qualifications are met directly, this phase is skipped. While usually a minor district is upgraded after a few years, in some cases it remained as a minor district for decades. For example Ko YaoAmphoe Ko Yao
Ko Yao is a district in the province Phang Nga in the south of Thailand.-History:The minor district Ko Yao was established in 1903 as a subordinate of Mueang Phang Nga district...
was a minor district for 85 years until it was upgraded in 1988. Sometimes a district was downgraded to a minor district as well, like Thung Wa
Amphoe Thung Wa
-History:Thung Wa was one of the three original districts of Satun. The main industry at the beginning of the 20th century was pepper production. When the production declined in the 1910s, many natives moved to the farmland of La-ngu minor district, while foreign merchants left the area completely...
which lost a lot of its population to neighboring La-ngu minor district
Amphoe La-ngu
-History:La-ngu was one of the three original districts of Satun, at first a minor district under Thung Wa district. When the pepper production in Thung Wa district declined in the 1910s, many natives moved to the farmland of La-ngu...
, so finally La-ngu was upgraded and Thung Wa downgraded. Another example is Chumphon Buri
Amphoe Chumphon Buri
Chumphon Buri is a district in the northwestern part of Surin Province, northeastern Thailand.-History:The district dates back to Mueang Chumphon Buri, which was converted into a district during the thesaphiban administrative reform around 1900.On February 22 1938 the eastern part of the district...
, which was reduced after the more developed part was split off to form a new district and the remaining district was downgraded.
The qualification necessary is a population of at least 30,000 people and at least 5 tambon, or if the area is more than 25 km away from the district office a population of at least 15,000 and 4 tambon.
A minor district is led by a chief officer (Hua Na King Amphoe, หัวหน้ากิ่งอำเภอ).
The Thai word King (กิ่ง) means branch and should not be confused with the English word King. The officially recommended translation is minor district – however they are also quite commonly translated as subdistrict, which is the recommended translation for tambon, and also wrongly suggests that they are at a lower administrative level than the Amphoe.
The Thai government decided to upgrade all remaining 81 minor districts to full districts on May 15, 2007 in order to facilitate their administration. With the publishing in the Royal Gazette on August 24 the upgrade became official.
District office
The administration of the district is housed in an office building called Thi wa kan Amphoe (ที่ว่าการอำเภอ), which also marks the center of each district. Distances on road signs are always calculated to this office building. The office is usually located in the largest settlement of the district, to make it easily reachable for the majority of the population – one of the tasks of the Amphoe is the civil registryCivil registry
Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database is called civil register or registry, or population registry. The primary purpose of civil registration is to create legal documents that are used to...
, which makes the district the most important of the administrative levels for the general Thai people.
List of Amphoe
| Rank | Name | Population (Census 2000) |
Name | Area (km²) |
Name | Pop. Density Inh./km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mueang Samut Prakan Amphoe Mueang Samut Prakan Mueang Samut Prakan is the capital district of Samut Prakan Province, central Thailand. The district has the highest population of all districts of Thailand.-Tourist attractions:... |
435,122 | Umphang Amphoe Umphang Umphang is the southernmost district of Tak Province, Thailand at the Thai-Myanmar border. It is also the name of the town center of the district.... |
4325.4 | Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighboring districts are Dusit, Ratchathewi, Pathum Wan, Bang Rak, Samphanthawong, and Phra Nakhon.-History:... |
45,187.9 |
| 2. | Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Amphoe Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima is one of 32 districts of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeastern Thailand. Including the center city of district is City of Nakhon Ratchasima.-Introduction:... |
430,053 | Thong Pha Phum Amphoe Thong Pha Phum Thong Pha Phum is a district in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province, central Thailand.-History:At first Thong Pha Phum was the minor district Sangkhla Buri, a subordinate of Wang Ka district. In 1939 the name Sangkhla Buri was assigned to Wang Ka, while the minor district was renamed to... |
3655.2 | Samphanthawong Samphanthawong Samphanthawong is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district in area but has the highest population density of Bangkok's districts... |
30,182.1 |
| 3. | Mueang Udon Thani Amphoe Mueang Udon Thani Mueang Udon Thani is the capital district of Udon Thani Province, northeastern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Phen, Phibun Rak, Nong Han, Prachaksinlapakhom, Kumphawapi, Nong Saeng, Nong Wua So, Kut Chap and Ban Phue of Udon Thani Province.-History:Originally named Ban Mak Khaeng... |
379,851 | Ban Rai Amphoe Ban Rai Ban Rai is a district in the Uthai Thani Province in western Thailand.-Geography:The district covers more than half of the whole province Uthai Thani, and is also the third-largest district of Thailand areawise... |
3621.5 | Thon Buri Thon Buri (district) Thon Buri is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Located on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, it was once part of Thon Buri province... |
24,494.5 |
| 4. | Mueang Khon Kaen Amphoe Mueang Khon Kaen Mueang Khon Kaen is the capital district of Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand.-Geography:Neighboring districts are Ban Haet, Phra Yuen, Ban Fang, Ubolratana, Nam Phong, Sam Sung of Khon Kaen Province, Kosum Phisai and Chiang Yuen of Maha Sarakham Province.-History:In 1917, the district... |
359,065 | Mae Chaem Amphoe Mae Chaem Mae Chaem is a district of Chiang Mai Province in northern Thailand.-History:The district Mueang Chaem was created in 1908, consisting of the tambon Mae Thap,Tha Pha, Chang Khoeng and Mae Suek split off from Chom Thong. In 1917 it was renamed to Chang Khoeng, as the district office was located in... |
3361.2 | Din Daeng Din Daeng Din Daeng is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Its neighbor, clockwise from north, are Chatuchak, Huai Khwang, Ratchathewi and Phaya Thai.-History:... |
22,180.8 |
| 5. | Mueang Nonthaburi Amphoe Mueang Nonthaburi Mueang Nonthaburi is the capital district of Nonthaburi province in Thailand. The city of Nonthaburi has 267,001 inhabitants, while the whole district has 348,553.-History:The district was originally named Talat Khwan... |
332,388 | Sangkhla Buri Amphoe Sangkhla Buri Sangkhla Buri is a district in the Kanchanaburi Province in western Thailand.-Geography:Sangkhla Buri is located in the far west of the province, at the boundary to Myanmar. The Three Pagodas Pass is the border crossing station to Myanmar... |
3349.4 | Khlong San Khlong San Khlong San is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Located on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, neighboring districts across the river are Phra Nakhon, Samphanthawong, Bang Rak, Sathon, and Bang Kho Laem... |
20,844.6 |
| ... | ||||||
| 922. | Chaloem Phra Kiat Amphoe Chaloem Phra Kiat, Nan Province Chaloem Phra Kiat is a district of Nan Province, northern Thailand.-History:The district was created on December 5, 1996, together with four other districts named Chaloem Phra Kiat in celebration of the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadej ascension to the throne.The area of the district... |
7,517 | Khlong San Khlong San Khlong San is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Located on the west bank of Chao Phraya River, neighboring districts across the river are Phra Nakhon, Samphanthawong, Bang Rak, Sathon, and Bang Kho Laem... |
6.1 | Nong Ya Plong Amphoe Nong Ya Plong Nong Ya Plong is the district in the northwestern part of Phetchaburi Province, central Thailand.-History:Nong Ya Plong was established as a minor district on July 16 1972, when the three tambon Nong Ya Plong, Yang Nam Klat Nuea and Yang Nam Klat Tai were split off from Khao Yoi district... |
10.0 |
| 923. | Don Phut Amphoe Don Phut Don Phut is a district in the western part of Saraburi Province, Thailand.-History:Tambon Don Phut, Dong Ta Ngao, Ban Luang and Phai Lio were separated from Ban Mo district to create the minor district Don Phut on May 31, 1971... |
6,957 | Phra Nakhon Phra Nakhon Phra Nakhon is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. It is the central district of Bangkok, including the Rattanakosin Island... |
5.5 | Kaeng Krachan Amphoe Kaeng Krachan Kaeng Krachan is a district of Phetchaburi Province, central Thailand.-History:The district was created as a minor district on January 1 1988 by splitting off the three tambon Kaeng Krachan, Song Phi Nong and Wang Chan from Tha Yang district... |
9.8 |
| 924. | Ko Sichang | 4,417 | Bang Rak Bang Rak Bang Rak is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. The district is bounded by four other districts : Pathum Wan, Sathon, Khlong San , and Samphanthawong. It was established in 1912.-History:... |
5.5 | Sangkhla Buri Amphoe Sangkhla Buri Sangkhla Buri is a district in the Kanchanaburi Province in western Thailand.-Geography:Sangkhla Buri is located in the far west of the province, at the boundary to Myanmar. The Three Pagodas Pass is the border crossing station to Myanmar... |
8.7 |
| 925. | Ko Chang | 4,399 | Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai Pom Prap Sattru Phai is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Neighboring districts are Dusit, Ratchathewi, Pathum Wan, Bang Rak, Samphanthawong, and Phra Nakhon.-History:... |
1.9 | Si Sawat Amphoe Si Sawat Si Sawat is a district in the Kanchanaburi Province in western Thailand.- Geography :Neighboring districts are Ban Rai of Uthai Thani Province, Dan Chang of Suphanburi Province, Nong Prue, Bo Phloi, Kanchanaburi, Sai Yok and Thong Pha Phum of Kanchanburi Province.The district is dominated by the... |
6.1 |
| 926. | Ko Kut Ko Kut Ko Kut is a district of Trat Province, eastern Thailand, consisting of a group of islands. With a population of about 2000 it is the district with the lowest population of all Thailand.-History:... |
2,042 | Samphanthawong Samphanthawong Samphanthawong is one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, Thailand. Regarded as Bangkok's Chinatown, it is the smallest district in area but has the highest population density of Bangkok's districts... |
1.4 | Umphang Amphoe Umphang Umphang is the southernmost district of Tak Province, Thailand at the Thai-Myanmar border. It is also the name of the town center of the district.... |
5.1 |