Muban

For the clapper used in Chinese music, see Paiban.

Muban (Thai: หมู่บ้าน) is the lowest administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as village, they are the subdivision of tambon. As of 2008, there are 74944 administrative villages in Thailand^[1]. As of the 1990 census, the average village consisted of 144 households or 746 persons.

A muban does not necessarily cover exactly one settlement. Larger settlements can be split into several muban, while very small settlements can be put together into a single muban.

In village names, muban is commonly abbreviated to ban (Thai: บ้าน).

Administration

The village is led by a village headman (Thai: Phu Yai Ban, ผู้ใหญ่บ้าน), who is elected by the population of the village and then appointed by the Ministry of the Interior. The headman has two assistants, one for Government affairs and one for Security Affairs. There also may be a Village Committee with elected members from the village, serving as an advisory body of a village. Originally the village headman once elected was in office until reaching retirement age. They now only serve for a five year term but can then apply for reelection.

Villages which are part of a town or city (thesaban mueang and thesaban nakhon) have no village headman.

References

1. ^ "ข้อมูลทางการปกครอง ณ วันที่ 31 ธันวาคม 2552". Department of provincial administration (DOPA). http://www.dopa.go.th/dopanew/doc/dopastat52.pdf.