Thai cabinet orders urgent transfer of Phuket governor in bid to end internal conflict
Thailand's cabinet has urgently transferred Phuket's governor and appointed a new one to defuse a serious internal administrative conflict tied to allegations against a vice governor and public land encroachment.
Thailand's cabinet has approved the urgent transfer of Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn, swapping him with Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Chotinrin Kerdsom in an effort to address severe internal conflict in the province's administration.
Under the cabinet decision, Nirat will move from his post as Phuket governor to become deputy permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, while Chotinrin will take over as Phuket governor. The source said the reshuffle was intended to quickly resolve conflict and management problems inside the provincial administration.
The conflict stemmed from allegations involving Phuket Vice Governor Theerapong Chuaychu. According to the source, he faced accusations of threatening the governor by invoking a powerful figure and was also linked through close associates to alleged encroachment on public land. The report said the associates were accused of involvement in encroaching on a public area on the beach behind Cherng Talay police station for personal gain.
The cabinet move followed earlier action by the Interior Ministry. On June 15, 2569 in the Thai Buddhist calendar, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said threats to transfer a provincial governor were "nonsense" and damaged the image of civil servants. He ordered a detailed fact-finding inquiry and said authorities would not allow state officials to support illegal acts.
Later that same day, the Interior Ministry ordered the immediate transfer of five deputy governors, effective June 16, 2569. The transfers included moving Theerapong out of Phuket to become deputy governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat, and moving another Phuket deputy governor, Adul Chuthong, to Songkhla to reduce friction in the administration.
The source described Nirat as a senior Interior Ministry official with a record that included handling wildfire and flood problems while serving as governor of Chiang Mai. It said Chotinrin, as Phuket's new governor, will face the challenge of suppressing local influence, tackling public land encroachment and restoring the image of the world-class tourist city.
