PM orders three deputy interior ministers to tackle Phuket problems after governor reshuffle

Thailand's prime minister has ordered all three deputy interior ministers to address ongoing problems in Phuket, Deputy Interior Minister Polpheer Suwannachee said on Tuesday after the cabinet approved a reshuffle of the province's top administration.

Speaking at Government House at 12:05 p.m., Polpheer said the Interior Ministry permanent secretary wanted to send personnel to solve problems in Phuket, after the cabinet approved the transfer of Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn to the post of deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry and the appointment of Chotinrin Kerdsom, currently a deputy permanent secretary, as Phuket governor.

Polpheer did not say Nirat had failed to solve problems in the province. He said there were likely several factors behind the decision and that Phuket's problems had continued to have an impact. He said the prime minister had already visited the province and remained concerned about business operators and residents being taken advantage of.

He said the prime minister had called in all three deputy interior ministers to discuss the situation and that he would soon travel to Phuket to review conditions there.

Asked whether the move would help deal with influential interests, Polpheer said he did not want to describe the issue in those terms, but said anyone taking advantage of the public must be dealt with. He said officials under the Interior Ministry must protect, serve and facilitate the public.

Responding to opposition criticism that the action amounted to only a transfer of officials, Polpheer said: "Just wait and see what we can do."

He said no formal timeline had been set for Chotinrin to resolve Phuket's problems, but said the prime minister had given clear instructions on what needed to be done. Polpheer added that the prime minister had described Phuket as a sandbox and said it should be made to work well, while also noting that some laws were not facilitating the public and business operators.

Polpheer said he did not know whether Nirat had agreed to leave the post, adding that transfer orders from superiors were authoritative and had likely already been discussed. He said he had no authority as a deputy interior minister to transfer officials and could oversee only specific agencies.

On questions about whether the reshuffle contradicted earlier remarks that moving provincial governors was not easy, Polpheer said all civil service transfers followed rules and procedures. He said the June 15 decision was made by the Interior Ministry permanent secretary, and the submission to the cabinet on Tuesday was also the permanent secretary's decision.

He added that his immediate focus in Phuket would be on business operators and residents, while personnel management should be left to the permanent secretary.

According to the report, the Interior Ministry submitted the Phuket reshuffle to the cabinet as an urgent agenda item. The cabinet approved it, and Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, along with other ministers, did not raise objections or discuss the matter during the meeting.