Révisé par ThaiLawOnline, un cabinet d'avocats thaïlandais agréé exerçant en Thaïlande depuis 2006. Avocate thaïlandaise en charge du dossier : Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., licence du barreau thaïlandais 3149/2556.
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A province (จังหวัด, also spelled jangwat) est un province of Thailand, the country’s first-level administrative division. Thailand has 76 provinces plus Bangkok, which is a special administrative area with province-level status, so official lists often count 77. Each changwat is divided into districts (amphoe), sub-districts (tambon) and villages (muban).
Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. The court venue rules on this page were read against the Code de procédure civile, sections 4, 4 bis and 4 quater, in Thai, and the three Acts named above were confirmed in the central law register with these years: the State Administration Act B.E. 2534, le Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act B.E. 2528 et le Provincial Administrative Organisation Act B.E. 2540. Non vérifié ici : the four year term of the Or Bor Jor council and chief executive, the number of provinces, and the date Bueng Kan was created, none of which the Civil Procedure Code governs.
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Comment est administré un changwat
Every province is run by a provincial governor (phu wa ratchakan changwat, ผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัด), a career official of the Ministry of Interior appointed under the Provincial Administration Act B.E. 2457 (1914) and the State Administration Act B.E. 2534 (1991). The governor supervises the district chiefs (nai amphoe) and the provincial branches of central ministries: the provincial bureau des hypothèques, the provincial employment office, the provincial bureau d'immigration and so on. Bangkok is the exception: its governor is elected under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Act B.E. 2528 (1985), and its districts are called khet rather than amphoe.
Alongside the appointed governor, each province also has an elected local government, the Provincial Administrative Organisation (Or Bor Jor, องค์การบริหารส่วนจังหวัด), created by the Provincial Administrative Organisation Act B.E. 2540 (1997). Its chief executive and council are elected every four years and it handles province-wide services such as major roads, some hospitals and schools. Do not confuse the Or Bor Jor with the Aor Bor Tor, which works at sub-district level.
Thailand’s administrative hierarchy
| Niveau | thaïlandais | Anglais | Head |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changwat | จังหวัด | Province | Governor (appointed; elected in Bangkok) |
| Amphoe (khet in Bangkok) | อำเภอ / เขต | District | Nai amphoe (appointed) |
| Tambon (khwaeng in Bangkok) | ตำบล / แขวง | Sous-district | Kamnan |
| Muban | หมู่บ้าน | Village | Chef de village (elected) |
Local self-government runs in parallel to this state hierarchy: the Or Bor Jor at province level, the Tesaban (municipality) in urban areas and the Aor Bor Tor in rural sub-districts.
Là où un étranger rencontre le changwat
The province appears on every Thai address, land title deed, livret de famille ET certificat de mariage, always as the last line before the postcode. In practice most legal steps a foreigner takes outside Bangkok happen at a provincial office: the provincial land office (or its branch) registers land transfers, leases, usufruits and mortgages; the provincial court (san changwat) hears divorces, child custody cases, estate administrator applications and property disputes; the provincial immigration office handles visa extensions, 90-day reports and TM30 notifications; and the provincial employment office issues work permits.
Jurisdiction follows the province. A case about immovable property can be filed either in the court for the area where the land lies or in the court where the defendant is domiciled (Civil Procedure Code, section 4 bis), and an application to appoint an estate administrator is normally filed where the deceased was domiciled or where the estate assets are. See our guide to the système juridique thaïlandais for how provincial courts fit into the court structure.
Foire aux questions
Combien de changwats la Thaïlande compte-t-elle ?
La Thaïlande compte 76 provinces (changwat). Bangkok n'est pas juridiquement une province mais une zone administrative spéciale dotée du même rang, c'est pourquoi vous verrez citer à la fois 76 et 77. La province la plus récente est Bueng Kan, créée en 2011.
Bangkok est-il un changwat ?
Pas officiellement. Bangkok est administrée par l'Administration métropolitaine de Bangkok en vertu de sa propre loi de 1985 (B.E. 2528), avec un gouverneur élu. Pour la plupart des usages, y compris les adresses, les tribunaux et l'immigration, elle fonctionne comme une province.
Quelle est la différence entre le gouverneur et l'Or Bor Jor ?
The governor is a civil servant appointed by the Ministry of Interior and represents the central state in the province. The Or Bor Jor (Provincial Administrative Organisation) is an elected local government with its own chief executive, council and budget.
Voir aussi : district, tambon (sous-district), Tesaban (municipalité), Aor Bor Tor, chef de village et notre guide sur the Thai legal system.
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