Reviewed by ThaiLawOnline, a licensed Thai law firm practising in Thailand since 2006. Thai lawyer of record: Wichuda Atthamethakon, LL.M., Thai Bar Licence 3149/2556.
Last updated on September 5, 2026
A tesaban (เทศบาล, official spelling thesaban, also written tessaban) is a municipality in Thailand, the form of elected local government used for towns and cities under the Municipality Act B.E. 2496 (1953). There are three classes: tesaban nakhon (city municipality), tesaban mueang (town municipality) and tesaban tambon (sub-district municipality). The tesaban is the urban counterpart of the rural Aor Bor Tor.
Table of Contents
The three classes of municipality
| Class | Thai | Main criterion |
|---|---|---|
| Tesaban nakhon (city) | เทศบาลนคร | Population of at least 50,000 and sufficient income |
| Tesaban mueang (town) | เทศบาลเมือง | Provincial capital, or population of at least 10,000 and sufficient income |
| Tesaban tambon (sub-district) | เทศบาลตำบล | Population of at least 5,000, minimum income and density set by the Ministry of Interior |
Most tesaban tambon were sanitary districts (sukhaphiban) until May 1999, when all of them were upgraded to municipalities. A rural Aor Bor Tor that grows can also be upgraded to a tesaban tambon. Pattaya City has its own status under the Pattaya City Administration Act B.E. 2542 (1999), equivalent to a city municipality, and Bangkok is governed by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration rather than as a tesaban.
How a tesaban is governed
Each municipality is a juristic person with a mayor (nayok tesamontri, นายกเทศมนตรี) and a municipal council, both directly elected by residents for four-year terms since the Municipality Act (No. 12) B.E. 2546 (2003). The mayor is the local official for most of the laws that affect property and businesses inside the municipal boundary, and the municipality has its own budget, staff and by-laws (thetsabanyat).
What the tesaban does for a foreign resident or owner
Building permits. Under the Building Control Act B.E. 2522 (1979) the mayor is the local official who issues the permit to build, modify or demolish (form Or. 1), which is why a building permit is useful evidence of ownership of a house. See also our guide to construction law in Thailand.
House registration. A municipal office is a local registration office under the Civil Registration Act B.E. 2534, so inside a tesaban the tabien baan and the yellow book for foreigners are issued by the municipal registrar, not the amphoe. Marriage and divorce registration remain with the amphoe or khet.
Local taxes and licences. The tesaban assesses and collects the land and building tax under the Land and Building Tax Act B.E. 2562 (2019) and the signboard tax (see property taxes in Thailand). It issues licences under the Public Health Act B.E. 2535 (1992) for restaurants, food shops, markets and businesses classed as hazardous to health, which is one of the permits a short-term rental or guesthouse may need. It also runs waste collection, drainage, local roads and, in larger cities, schools and clinics.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a tesaban and an amphoe?
The amphoe is a district of the state administration, headed by an appointed official, and its office registers marriages, divorces and civil status. The tesaban is an elected municipality that provides local services inside a town or city: building permits, local taxes, public health licences and, in municipal areas, house registration.
Which tesaban class does my town belong to?
Check the name on the municipal office or the tax bill: เทศบาลนคร (nakhon) for cities of 50,000 or more, เทศบาลเมือง (mueang) for towns of 10,000 or more or provincial capitals, and เทศบาลตำบล (tambon) for the rest. The class affects council size and budget, not the services you deal with.
Is the yellow book issued by the tesaban or the amphoe?
It depends on where the house is. Inside a municipality the municipal registrar handles the tabien baan and the yellow book; outside municipal areas it is the district (amphoe) registrar.
See also: Aor Bor Tor (rural sub-district authority), amphoe (district office), tambon (sub-district), changwat (province) and our guides to construction law and property taxes.
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