The minor district (king amphoe) Ban Khok was established on 1 July 1977, when the two tambon Ban Khok and Muang Chet Ton were split off from Fak Tha district.[1] Sub-districts Na Khum and Bo Bia were created in 1986.[2] On 12 August 1987 it was upgraded to a full district.[3]
In 1984 a boundary dispute with neighboring Laos over the exact location of the watershed between the Mekong and the Nan Rivers led to an armed dispute between the two countries. The disputed area of 19 km2, covering three villages and about 1000 inhabitants, was finally given to Laos.[4]
The district is divided into four sub-districts (tambon), which are further subdivided into 28 villages (muban). Ban Khok is a sub-district municipality (thesaban tambon) which covers the whole of tambon Ban Khok. There are a further three tambon administrative organizations (TAO).