Jingjok
Where local decisions are made
naa-yók-têet-sà-mon-dtrii
Most problems a resident actually faces, such as rubbish collection, potholes, street lights, stray dogs and blocked drains, are local. In towns they belong to the เทศบาล, led by an elected นายกเทศมนตรี; in rural sub-districts to the อบต.; and each province also has an elected provincial administrative organisation (อบจ.). Provincial governors, by contrast, are civil servants appointed by the Ministry of Interior. Bangkok is the exception: its governor is directly elected, and Pattaya has its own elected mayor. เลือกตั้งท้องถิ่น happen separately from general elections. In Bangkok, complaints filed through the Traffy Fondue app or a district office's LINE account often get a faster response than a call.
Try this today
Find out whether you live under a เทศบาล or an อบต., and look for its LINE or Facebook page.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Politics and current affairs 2” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.