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{{Short description|Local government type in Thailand}}
{{Politics of Thailand|Thai Garuda ดดemblem.png}}
[[File:Surat Thani town hall.jpg|thumb|Thesaban administration building, [[Surat Thani]] city]]
'''Thesaban''' ({{langx|th|เทศบาล}}, {{RTGS|''thetsaban''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰêːt.sā.bāːn|pron}}, [[Pali|Pali:]] desapāla (protector of region) are the municipalities of [[Thailand]]. There are three levels of municipalities: city, town, and sub-district. Bangkok and Pattaya are special municipal entities not included in the ''thesaban'' system.

The municipalities assume some of the responsibilities which are assigned to the districts (''[[amphoe]]'') or subdistricts (''[[tambon]]'') for non-municipal (rural) areas. Historically, this [[devolution]] of central government powers grew out of the [[Sukhaphiban]] ({{lang|th|สุขาภิบาล}}) [[sanitary district]]s first created in Bangkok by a royal decree of King [[Chulalongkorn]] in 1897.

The ''thesaban'' system was established in the Thesaban Organization Act of 1934 ({{langx|th|พระราชบัญญัติจัดระเบียบเทศบาล พุทธศักราช ๒๔๗๖}}),<ref name="1934 act">The Royal Gazette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221713/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2477/A/82.PDF พระราชบัญญัติจัดระเบียบเทศบาล พุทธศักราช ๒๔๗๖, Vol. 51, Page 82-107.] 24 Apr 1934. Retrieved on 28 Nov 2008.</ref> and has been updated several times since, starting with the Thesaban Act of 1939 ({{langx|th|พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๑}}),<ref name="1939 act">The Royal Gazette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221626/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2482/A/155.PDF พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล พุทธศักราช ๒๔๘๑, Vol. 56, Pages 155-86.] 1 Apr 1939. Retrieved on 28 Nov 2008.</ref> which was replaced by the Thesaban Act of 1953.<ref name="1953 act">The Royal Gazette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221652/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2496/A/014/222.PDF พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล พุทธศักราช ๒๔๙๖, Vol. 70 No. 14, Pages 222-257.] 17 Feb 1953. Retrieved on 28 Nov 2008.</ref> The 1953 act was most recently amended by the Thesaban Act (No. 12) of 2003.<ref>The Royal Gazette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221645/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/00133923.PDF พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล (ฉบับที่ ๑๒) พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๖, Vol. 120 No. 124ก, Pages 1-15.] 22 Dec 2003. Retrieved on 28 Nov 2008.</ref>

{{Administrative divisions of Thailand}}

==City municipality{{anchor|City-municipality}}==
''Thesaban nakhon'' ({{langx|th|เทศบาลนคร}}, {{RTGS|''thetsaban nakhon''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰêːt.sā.bāːn ná(ʔ).kʰɔ̄ːn|pron}}) is translated as "city municipality". To qualify for city status a municipality needs to have a population of at least 50,000 and sufficient income to carry out the tasks of a city.

When first organized in 1934, the minimum qualifications for city status were a population of 30,000 with a density of 1,000 per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="1934 act"/> In 1939 the required population density was increased to 2,000 per km<sup>2</sup>, along with the addition of a financial requirement.<ref name="1939 act"/> In 1953 the population density requirement was again raised, to 3,000 per km<sup>2</sup>,<ref name="1953 act"/> before being removed entirely in 2000.<ref name="2000 act">The Royal Gazette, [https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221730/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/00019030.PDF พระราชบัญญัติเทศบาล (ฉบับที่ ๑๑) พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๓, Vol. 117 No. 41ก, Pages 12-27.] 12 Nov 2000. Retrieved 28 Nov 2008.</ref>

For 22 years, from 1972 to 1994, as well as between March and November 1936, there was only one city municipality in Thailand, which was [[Chiang Mai]], as in 1972 [[Bangkok]] had been changed from city municipality, to special governed district. Until 1972 there were three city municipalities: [[Chiang Mai]], [[Bangkok|Phra Nakhon]] (now Bangkok), and [[Thonburi]] (now part of Bangkok). In 1994, [[Nakhon Si Thammarat]] town municipality became the second city municipality of Thailand, and the first in the south.

==Town municipality==
[[File:Banpong Municipality Seal.png|250px|thumb|right|Banpong Municipality Logo]]

''Thesaban mueang'' ({{langx|th|เทศบาลเมือง}}, {{RTGS|''thetsaban mueang''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰêːt.sā.bāːn mɯ̄a̯ŋ|pron}}) is translated as "town municipality". For a municipality to qualify as a town, it either needs to be a provincial capital, or have a population of at least 10,000 and sufficient income to cover the tasks of a town.

When first organized in 1934, the minimum qualification for town status was a population of 3,000 with a density of 1,000 per km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="1934 act"/> In 1939 requirements were increased to a population of 5,000 with a density of 2,000 per km<sup>2</sup>, plus a financial criterion.<ref name="1939 act"/> In 1953, the minimum population requirements was raised to the present value; the population density was also raised, to 3,000 per km<sup>2</sup>,<ref name="1953 act"/> before being removed entirely in 2000.<ref name="2000 act"/>

==Subdistrict municipality{{anchor|Subdistrict-municipality}}==
''Thesaban tambon'' ({{langx|th|เทศบาลตำบล}}, {{RTGS|''thetsaban tambon''}}, {{IPA|th|tʰêːt.sā.bāːn tām.bōn|pron}}), the lowest level municipal unit, is usually translated as "sub-district municipality". Despite the name, it may not necessarily cover the same area as a sub-district (''[[tambon]]''); i.e., it may not cover a ''tambon'' completely, or conversely, it may extend over parts of more than one ''tambon''. 

For an area to qualify as a ''thesaban tambon'', it must have a gross income of at least 5 million [[baht]] and a population of at least 5,000 with a minimum density of 1,500 per km<sup>2</sup>, plus the approval of the population within that area.<ref name="Definition">[http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2008-0604-200854/andriesse.pdf ''Netherlands Geographical Studies'' 374 (2008): "Institutions and regional development in Southeast Asia", S. 125] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326221628/http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2008-0604-200854/andriesse.pdf |date=2009-03-26 }} Retrieved on 3 Dec 2008.</ref>

Many of today's ''thesaban'' municipalities were originally ''[[sukhaphiban]] tambon'', sanitation districts, the number of which had grown to 35 in 1935, when these were converted into municipalities. New sanitary districts were again established starting in 1952. With the ''Act to Upgrade Sanitary Districts to Thesaban'' of May 1999 all were converted in May 1999,<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Royal Gazette|volume=116|issue=9 ก|pages=1–4|script-title=th:พระราชบัญญัติเปลี่ยนแปลงฐานะของสุขาภิบาลเป็นเทศบาล พ.ศ. ๒๕๔๒|url=http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2542/A/009/1.PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409014432/http://www.ratchakitcha.soc.go.th/DATA/PDF/2542/A/009/1.PDF|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 9, 2008|date=24 Feb 1999|language=Thai}}</ref> though many of them did not actually meet the criteria above.

==See also==
* [[Mueang#Thailand|Mueang, Thailand section ]]
*[[List of cities in Thailand by population]]
*[[List of cities in Thailand]]
*[[Organization of the government of Thailand|Subdivisions of Thailand]]

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070313092144/http://www.dopa.go.th/English/history/politic3.htm History of administrative reforms]
*http://www.tessaban.com {{in lang|th}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Subdivisions of Thailand]]
[[Category:1934 establishments in Siam]]