Thailand Addresses

[donna]

Can someone please explain to me, in simple terms, how the address system works here?

For example, we have Provinces, Muangs, Amphurs, Tambons, Bans and goodness knows what else. I have searched the forum but can't seem to find the answer.

Can someone explain what each of them means, from top level down?

Sorry for the dumb question, but I have been asked to explain it to someone else and thought I should get my facts straight before replying.

[terdsak_12]

12 years on and I'm still baffled. Sorry.

[saraburioz]

Tambon is like a precinct

Amphur is like a district

Jangwat is like a state or province

Edited August 17, 2005 by saraburioz

[FreedomDude]

Tambon is like a precinct

Amphur is like a district

Jangwat is like a state or province

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And Ban is like a small village.

My gf lives in hiearchical order

Jangwat: Ubon Ratchatani

Amphur: Phibun Mungsahan

Ban Tachang ( "Ban" seems to be a part of the name of the village itself. They say "I live in Ban Tachang")

[chownah]

The address:

Mr. Thaiperson

222 moo 1 Wherever Whichever

Whatever

99999

Can also be written:

Mr. Thaiperson

222 moo1

Wherever

Whichever

Whatever

99999

Explanation: 222 is Thaiperson's house number. My wife says that moo 1 is a code that stands for Thaiperson's village but I'm not sure if she's exactly correct on this but I guess she's Thai so we should trust her on this one. Wherever is the name of Thaiperson's tambon. Whichever is the name of Thaiperson's amphur. Whatever is the name of Thaiperson's Jiangwat. 99999 is Thaiperson's post office code. There is one variation you should be aware of; sometimes people write the name of the village immediately after the moo1 designation but mostly they do not.

More info: Jiangwat is the province, for example Chiangmai. A jiangwat is divided up into many amphur. An amphur is divided up into many tambon. A tambon is divided up into many villages. And a village has many houses. A house can have many Thaipeople.

[donna]

So to summarise:

You are all just as bloody confused as I am!

[chownah]

So to summarise: 

You are all just as bloody confused as I am!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I just reread your post. You asked for how addresses work so my post showed you how to address a letter. As for the overall picture I'll try again.

First you have Thailand which we all know is the country.

Thailand is divided into Jiangwat which is the Thai word for Province.

Each Jiangwat (Province) has a capital city or district which is called the Muang...so if you say Muang Chiangmai you mean the city of Chiangmai. I think the Jiangwat (Province) and the capital city (Muang) always have the same name but there might be some exceptions.

EAch Jiangwat (Province) is divided up into many Amphur. Each Amphur has a main town, sort of like the capital of the Amphur and it usually has the same name as the Amphur. For instance in Jiangwat Chiangrai (Chiangrai Province) there is an Amphur in the north called MaeSai and the amphur governmental offices are all located in a town called MaeSai. So just like a Jiangwat has a capital town which shares its name, so also an Amphur has a sort of a capital town which shares its name.

Each Amphur is divided up into many Tambon. Each Tambon has a main town, sort of like the capital of the Tambon and it usually has the same name as the Tambon....this is just like the Amphur having a main city with the same name and just like the Jiangwat which has the main city with the same name.

EAch Tambon is divided up into many Ban which is the Thai word for village.

So, to summarize, from the bottom up: A Ban is a village. Several Ban together make up a Tambon. Several Tambon together make up an Amphur. Several Amphur together make up a Jiangwaht (Province). Several Jiangwaht make up the Kingdom of Thailand.

I think that Bangkok might be handled differently but I don't really know.

Edited August 17, 2005 by chownah

[Thai Chi]

And just to add more confusion to the topic on my last trip back to Australia I sent myself 2 letters (no i didnt write anything to myself) to see which was the correct address where I live. The address to look at where very different No1. 123/456 Chiranakorn Soi 1

Chira Rd

T. Naimuang

A. Muang

Buriram 31000

and No2. 123/456 Gor soi 1

Jira Rd

T.Nai Muang

Buriram 31000

I sent each letter from a different place 2 days apart, and you guessed it, they were both waiting for me under the door 4 days later when I got back to Thailand This dosent answer your question, but it just goes to show.

[tuky]

No matter how many times my BH explains to me where we live I have never worked it out, even after reading the above posts.

Oh well, mai bpen rai.

Atleast I can find the joint on google earth...

[ThaiPauly]

I thought a Ban was a housing complex? Like say for example my address would be: 15/25 Ban Withersong, Tumbol Mea Hai (thats the viallage name) Ampur Muang 15 being the house number , 25 being????

I agree it is so confusing.

[Richard W]

And just to add more confusion to the topic on my last trip back to Australia I sent myself 2 letters (no i didnt write anything to myself) to see which was the correct address where I live. The address to look at where very different No1.

                                      123/456 Chiranakorn Soi 1

                                      Chira Rd

                                      T. Naimuang

                                      A. Muang

                                      Buriram 31000

and No2.                          123/456 Gor soi 1

                                      Jira Rd

                                      T.Nai Muang

                                      Buriram 31000

I sent each letter from a different place 2 days apart, and you guessed it, they were both waiting for me under the door 4 days later when I got back to Thailand This dosent answer your question, but it just goes to show.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The problem here is that you might have a keen postman. In the UK, they've been known to deliver to a grid reference! A name plus post code will also work if the destination has a post code to itself (e.g. large offices, colleges), but that does make extra work for the post office, so don't try it unless you have to. (I gather UK postmen get the mail sorted by walk, not into individual bundles by postcode.)

The address above inidcates one useful point - you don't have to give the name of numbered sois off a major road, just the number. I don't believe Thais have a standardised form of address - who would take any notice?

For flats, I've always used the name of the building. Thus, one might have:

Room 123

Rickety Apartments

68 Long Road Soi 125/1

Ratchathewi

Bangkok 10400

or

Rickety Apartments Room 123

68 Long Road Soi 125/1

Ratchathewi

Bangkok 10400

In Thai I would prefix the name of the district by ข. (for เขต).

When do soi names need to be followed by the names of major roads? For example, does Soi Kasemsan 1 need to be followed by Phayathai Road?

Is there any condensation when the tambon has the same name as the amphoe? I always feel silly writing two nearly identical lines.

[autonomous_unit]

Now, has anyone cracked the _real_ code of how you tell your Thai address to some western hone slave who is entering it into an electronic customer service page that assumes number/street/city/provence/country form? I have received some magazines and such with truly bizarre scrambles of the words from our condo address.

Since they got through anyway, perhaps I have cracked the code and it is mai bpen rai?

[barryofthailand]

The most important part of your address in Thailand is the Moo number. All the house numbers are duplicated, so without a Moo number it is virtually impossible to deliver your mail to the correct address. A good example would be:

Mr Fallang

28/1 Moo 2 ( being the house number and the Moo number)Soi Post office( Being the name of the street closest to you or the Ban ) Nongprue, ( being the Tambon or sub district) Banglamung( being the Amphur)

Chonburi 20260 ( being the province and zip code)

Now the sub district and the Amphur could be missing and you will still get your mail as long as your house number, Amphur, and province with the zip code I know sounds confusing.

Barry