Atthakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, does not oppose the idea of separating tourism from sports, pointing out that many countries combine tourism with culture. He cannot say whether this has been successfully done, but if the Kla Tham party gains power, they will definitely act on their promises.
At 09:53 on 10 March 2026, Atthakorn Sirilattayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, spoke about the idea of splitting the ministry by merging tourism with the Ministry of Culture and having a separate ministry solely for sports. Based on his work with several countries over the past five to six months, many have combined culture and tourism ministries because their missions are closely related.
When asked if he supports this idea, Atthakorn said he has no problem and does not oppose it. Asked if the ministry has previously studied this idea, he said that during his tenure no additional studies were conducted on this matter, though he is aware there have been suggestions regarding it.
When asked whether such a separation would be suitable and strong in the Thai context, Atthakorn replied that it depends on how the missions of culture, tourism, and sports align and which can effectively be combined.
Asked whether he thinks this idea will actually happen, noting that during Thaksin Shinawatra’s time the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was successfully separated from the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Atthakorn said he cannot answer. However, he emphasized that if the Kla Tham party gains power, whatever they say, they will definitely do.