Government & Economy

Chonburi province is rapidly developing into a center of Thai industry, home to port facilities, factories, refineries, packing plants, military bases (the Royal Thai Navy is based at Sattahip) and commercial fishing operations. Today more than two thirds of the gross provincial product comes from manufacturing, construction, transport and communications. Agriculture, which was once the primary income producer, now accounts for less than 5% of economic activity. Much of the land and many of the commercial or industrial establishments in the province are controlled by entrepreneurial Thai-Chinese families.

The province is also home to the famous (some would say notorious) beach resort, Pattaya, and tourism makes an important contribution to the provincial economy. The City of Pattaya has a form of local government specific to itself. Essentially an experiment in local government, it was established in 1978 with a city council consisting of 9 elected and 8 appointed members. Administratively it remains part of Chonburi province, but with considerable power devolved to it to manage its own affairs through a city manager hired by, and answerable to, the city council.

The rest of the province is divided into 11 districts, headed by district officers falling under the responsibility of the provincial governor. The districts, called Amphoe, are:

A district is divided into subdistricts (Tambon) which are headed by a subdistrict chief (Kamnan). A subdistrict consists of several villages, each led by an elected village head.

The emblem of the province: Sam Muk mountain with a background of a long beach.

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