(phu yai baan) is by no means the only village leader.
Other leaders include school teachers, abbot as well as some respectful elders.
In practice, these people are included as members of village council of which the village headman is the chairman. The village council is a local administrative body, functioning to help the village headman in matters concerning with be discussed within the council to call for cooperation. If the headman is successfully and strongly authoritative, consent can be easily reached. Matters concerning with village security is of prime importance. If something has gone wrong within his village, the headman has to report himself to the district officer or police chief of the district at once.