Each of Thailand's 76 provinces is divided into districts - as of 2006 there are 877 districtsand 50 districts in Bangkok. Each of the provinces has one capital district , e.g. for Chiang Mai it's "Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai". The exception is Ayutthaya Province, where both the province as well as the capital district have the full name "Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya".

In Bangkok the districts are called "khet" , and their subdivisions "kwaeng" which are equivalent to the "tambon" (sub-districts) in the other provinces.

The "tambon" are further subdivided into "muban" , which are usually translated as villages, though they not necessarily cover one single settlement.