Provincial Administrative
Organization (PAO)
The structure of a Provincial
Administrative Organization is
similar to that of a municipality.
The organization comprises an
elected provincial council that
functions as a legislative branch
and an executive board.
Until 1997 the provincial
governor was by law the chief
executive of a PAO.
The amendment of the Provincial
Administrative Organization Act
in 1997 allows a chief executive
to be elected by the councilors.
There are 76 councils in the
country and thus 76 provincial
administrative organizations.
(Bangkok is not included)
The Provincial Administrative
Organization represents all rural
areas of a province.
Provincial Administrative
Organization (PAO)
Subdistrict Administrative
Organization (SAO)
A Subdistrict or Tambon is a
rural administrative division at a
subdistrict level compromising of
a few villages.
Since 1972, every Subdistrict
(Tambon) in the country has a
Tambon council, a consultative
body that gives advice to the
chief of a Tambon.
The chief and the Tambon council
are part of the provincial
administration under the
supervision of a district officer and
the provincial governor.
In 1994 the latest TAO was
established.
By 1997 there were 2,761 TAOs
throughout the country.
The organization also takes the
council-executive form of
government.
Since 2001, all of the Tambon
Councils have been upgraded to
Tambon Administrative
Organizations.
The TAO council consist of two
representatives from each
administrative village in the
subdistrict, and one directly
elected chief.
Within one subdistrict, the area
which belongs to a municipality
is administered by the municipal
council. And only part of the
subdistrict is within a
municipality, the remaining part
is administrated by a SAO.
Adjoining subdistricts of a single
district can also have a joint SAO.
Members of a Tambon council
are partly elected by voters and
partly appointed by the
provincial governor.
The area of jurisdiction of a
Subdistrict administrative
organization (SAO) overlaps with
that of the provincial
administrative organization (PAO)
since a Subdistrict is a smaller
division of a district and the
district is a smaller division of a
province.
The districts and subdistricts are
the administrative areas under
the jurisdiction of PAO.