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Provinces of Thailand

Thailand is divided into 76 provinces (changwat, singular and plural), which are grouped into 5 groups of provinces - sometimes the East and Central are grouped together. The name of the province is the same as the capital city, which is sometimes preceded with a Mueang (or Muang) to avoid confusion with the province. With the exception of Songkhla the capital is also the biggest city in the province.

Bangkok is both the province with the highest population and the highest population density. The biggest province by area is Nakhon Ratchasima, the smallest Samut Songkhram. Mae Hong Son has the lowest population density, Ranong the lowest population (numbers according to 2000 census).

Many provinces date back to semi-independent local chiefdoms or kingdoms, which made up the Ayutthaya kingdom as well as Lannathai. In the end of the 19th century King Chulalongkorn started to create monthon (circles) as an administrative level containing one or more provinces as a secondary administrative division. The monthon were dissolved when Thailand became a democracy in 1932, making the provinces the top level administrative division. The highest number of provinces was around 85 in 1915, afterwards several provinces were merged together. Starting in the second half of the 20th century some provinces were newly created by splitting them off from bigger provinces. The youngest provinces are Srakaeo, Nong Bua Lam Phu and Amnat Charoen, which were created in 1993.

The provinces are administrated by a governor, who is appointed by the Ministry of the Interior. The only exception is Bangkok, in which the governor is elected.

    North
  1. Chiang Mai
  2. Chiang Rai
  3. Kamphaeng Phet
  4. Lampang
  5. Lamphun
  6. Mae Hong Son
  7. Nakhon Sawan
  8. Nan
  9. Phayao
  10. Phetchabun
  11. Phichit
  12. Phitsanulok
  13. Phrae
  14. Sukhothai
  15. Tak
  16. Uthai Thani
  17. Uttaradit
    North-East
  1. Amnat Charoen
  2. Buriram
  3. Chaiyaphum
  4. Kalasin
  5. Khon Kaen
  6. Loei
  7. Maha Sarakham
  8. Mukdahan
  9. Nakhon Phanom
  10. Nakhon Ratchasima
  11. Nongbua Lamphu
  12. Nong Khai
  13. Roi Et
  14. Sakhon Nakhon
  15. Sisaket
  16. Surin
  17. Ubon Ratchathani
  18. Udon Thani
  19. Yasothon
    Central
  1. Ang Thong
  2. Ayutthaya
  3. Bangkok
  4. Chainat
  5. Kanchanaburi
  6. Lopburi
  7. Nakhon Nayok
  8. Nakhon Pathom
  9. Nonthaburi
  10. Pathumthani
  11. Phetchaburi
  12. Prachuap Khiri Khan
  13. Ratchaburi
  14. Samut Prakan
  15. Samut Sakhon
  16. Samut Songkhram
  17. Saraburi
  18. Sing Buri
  19. Suphanburi
    East
  1. Chachoengsao
  2. Chanthaburi
  3. Chonburi
  4. Rayong
  5. Prachinburi
  6. Srakaeo
  7. Trat
    South
  1. Chumphon
  2. Krabi
  3. Nakhon Si Thammarat
  4. Narathiwat
  5. Pattani
  6. Phang Nga
  7. Phattalung
  8. Phuket
  9. Ranong
  10. Satun
  11. Songkhla
  12. Surat Thani
  13. Trang
  14. Yala

See also: