Cabinet approves transfer of Phuket governor to Interior Ministry post in Bangkok

Thailand’s Cabinet on June 16 approved the transfer of Phuket Governor Nirat from his post to become a Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior in Bangkok.

The Phuket Public Relations Office confirmed that Nirat had been relieved of his position as governor and appointed to the ministry role. His replacement in Phuket will be Chotinrin Kerdsom, a former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and former governor of several southern provinces, once the appointment receives royal endorsement.

Nirat arrived in Phuket on Nov. 18 last year and served as governor for 210 days.

The move came one day after Phuket Vice Governors Adul Chuthong and Teeraphong Chuaychoo were transferred out of Phuket following intervention by Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Anutin over allegations of corruption, influence and internal conflict among senior provincial officials.

Speaking at Government House, Anutin said the transfer had been approved following a recommendation from Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary Arsit Sampantharat.

“The transfer has been completed. The Permanent Secretary proposed it,” Anutin said. “We prioritised efficiency in work performance. This is a promotion to Deputy Permanent Secretary because the Phuket governor is senior and has a good profile.”

Asked whether the transfer was linked to conflict within Phuket’s administration, Anutin said serious problems had remained unresolved despite repeated intervention by the ministry.

“Whenever something happens, there are revelations and accusations. You can’t work like that,” he said. “We need people who do not have conflicts and who can work together.”

Anutin said Phuket remained a crucial economic province and that the government would not tolerate land encroachment, intimidation of residents or the influence of powerful figures in the province. He added that he had instructed the Interior Ministry’s permanent secretary to resolve the problems quickly.

Arsit later said the reshuffle was needed to defuse tensions and restore effective administration in Phuket. He said the ministry wanted to resolve problems in the area amid persistent reports concerning influential figures, alleged benefit-seeking and internal disputes among provincial officials.

Arsit said Nirat was an experienced and senior official who understood Phuket’s problems well, but that progress in resolving them had been insufficient. He also cited conflict among Phuket’s deputy governors, saying reports of disagreements between senior officials had become a near-daily feature on social media.

“As a team, they were not working together,” he said. “Therefore it was necessary to change the whole group to solve the problem.”

Arsit said investigations already underway into allegations involving provincial officials would continue despite the transfers.

The governor’s removal is the latest development in a widening upheaval in Phuket’s provincial administration that began last month with the transfer of Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer Siwat Rawangkul and several other senior officials after complaints concerning entertainment venue licensing, alleged bribe-taking and disputes over public land.

With the latest reshuffle, at least eight senior Phuket officials have been removed or transferred since May 20.

Chotinrin, who is from Nakhon Si Thammarat, previously served in Phuket as head of the Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office. He later held a series of senior posts, including governor of Chumphon and Songkhla and Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior.