Along with the strategy "Thailand 4.0," the Ministry of the Interior has fostered policies and guidelines for "Interior 4.0." As an agency responsible for implementing policies, the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) must transform the government sector into a digital government by utilizing internal data to generate new types of government services. This includes creating an information management system to serve the public and propel the country forward.

        The Department of Provincial Administration, under the Ministry of the Interior, is responsible for provincial administration and the local administrative boundaries of districts, sub-districts, and villages. Between 2019 and 2020, the Department of Provincial Administration updated the names and romanization of Thailand's provinces, districts, and sub-districts. This encompassed a total of 76 provinces, 878 districts, and 7,255 sub-districts. The department worked closely with the Thai Proper Dictionary Committee and the Thai Gazetteer Committee, facilitated by the Office of the Royal Society of Thailand, to enhance the database of names and romanization of the provincial administrative units, aligning them with standardized geographical name preparations.

        The geographical romanization of Thailand's provincial administrative units adheres to five important principles to ensure compliance with standards and validity.
Principle 1 involves following the official romanization system introduced by the Office of the Royal Society of Thailand.
Principle 2 focuses on dialects, history, and the involvement of local residents in determining geographical names.
Principle 3 emphasizes implementation and dissemination.
Principle 4 involves providing academic information on geographical name transcription to employees within the Department of Provincial Administration.
Principle 5 aims to enhance the knowledge and understanding of geographical name standardization among district officers.

        Consequently, the Department of Provincial Administration has developed an open online database website to facilitate the search for geographical names at the provincial, district, and sub-district levels. Moreover, the website offers detailed information about the personnel and organizational structure of the Department of Provincial Administration at both the central and regional levels. This is particularly beneficial for government personnel and individuals who seek convenient and rapid access to DOPA directory information.

        With precise geographic locations for all named places and the availability of the DOPA Directory, it becomes possible to associate and provide additional information, such as addresses and administrative divisions, along with geographical names. This, in turn, opens up new opportunities for information retrieval from public records and official registers. Government agencies, for instance, utilize geographical names for issuing bilingual official documents, geospatial data, security management (E-Maps), and disaster management.

        Contact
Department Of Provincial Administration Ministry of Interior
Technical Services and Planning Bureau (TSPB), Foreign Affairs Division
442 Nakhon Sawan Rd, Si Yaek Maha Nak, Dusit District, Bangkok, Thailand 10300
Email foreignaffairsdopa@gmail.com
Tel. +66 2 222 6204