Anutin revealed that Nirut, the Phuket governor, has been transferred to deputy permanent secretary following a proposal by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. He stressed that allowing such conflicts to persist makes work impossible, citing the Phuket sandbox as a measure to prevent other provinces from experiencing similar issues.
At 12:11 p.m. on 16 June 2026 GMT+7. Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul. He gave an interview at the Government House following a Cabinet meeting regarding the case of. The order transferring Nirut Pongsitthavorn, Governor of Phuket, to deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Interior. He said the transfer has been made, with the proposal coming from the Ministry's Permanent Secretary, and detailed explanations should be provided by the Permanent Secretary.
The Prime Minister added that this transfer concerns work efficiency and sees it as a promotion to deputy permanent secretary, noting that the former governor is senior in terms of his profile. When asked whether the transfer was due to local conflicts, as mentioned by the Prime Minister in yesterday's Ministry of Interior meeting, he replied. There are many issues in Phuket, and as everyone has seen, I have intervened, but no improvement has occurred. There are clips and exposés—this makes working together impossible. We must appoint people without conflicts who can collaborate, as Phuket is an economic city generating substantial national income.
At the same time, we cannot allow land grabs on beaches, eviction of locals from public areas, and mafia intimidation. Should I wait nine more months for reports or investigations before acting? Therefore, I have instructed the Ministry of Interior's Permanent Secretary to urgently address these many problems.
Regarding whether the inquiry into the Ministry of Interior's Permanent Secretary will continue, the Prime Minister said it depends. If nothing changes and everything is claimed to be fine, the Permanent Secretary has already shown that is not the case. But don't worry—I question him daily since he is with me every day.
When asked about suspicions linking the transfer order to local influential figures, the Prime Minister emphasized that details should be asked of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, who proposed and convinced him to approve it, with his agreement. When asked whether there will be directives to prevent such problems in other provinces, the Prime Minister said, “Phuket sandbox.”