The news follows the Cabinet approving the transfer and appointments of 31 high-ranking administrative officers, as proposed by the Ministry of Interior.
The appointments will be in effect from Oct 1, reported Post Today. (See story here.)
Of the now-Cabinet approved transfers, Chamroen Tipayapongtada, who served as 46th Governor of Phuket from October 2015 through September 2016, will take up the post of Governor of Phang Nga Province on Oct 1.
Mr Chamroen will be arriving from his current post as Governor of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, as post he was appointed after serving as Governor of Phuket.
Of note, Gov Chamroen was one of the key figures in the dismantling of the Phuket taxi mafia in 2014 during his term as Phuket Vice Governor from 2012-2014.
The other former Phuket Governor to be assigned a top-level position in the transfers was Nisit Chansomwong.
Mr Nisit served as the 45th Governor of Phuket from October 2014 through September 2015.
He will be transferred from his current post at Director-General of the Ministry of Interior’s Community Development Department to become the Director-General of Department of Lands, also effective Oct 1.
In departing the island on 2015, Mr Nisit called on people to continue to support sustainable management and preserve Phuket’s natural environment, namely by instituting and practising good trash management on the beaches, taking action on the polluted water at Racha island, preventing land from being illegally developed, and by developing drainage systems to prevent flooding.
In his parting words, Gov Nisit said, “When I came to the island as Governor on October 1, 2014, I I learned that although Phuket generates a lot of income from tourism, it constantly faces many problems.
“From my first day on the island to my last, I have been challenged to solve many issues. I tried to focus on the community by putting people first and encouraging local people to help build a strong community and help officials to solve issues in their areas…
“I find social networks very helpful, especially when it comes to traffic problems. Recurring floods is quite a problem for the island, and usually the problem is the same areas each time, such as Patong. For this, a three-year plan with a corresponding budget has been set to solve Phuket’s flood problems.
“Others issues, such as keeping the beaches clean, illegal land excavation and the issuance of building permits are now the responsibility of local municipalities,” he said.
“For tourism, I think we have been consistent in promoting Phuket, and the island still attracts many foreigners. I am sure Phuket will do very well in generating income from tourism,” he added. (See story here.)