Phonphir, Deputy Minister of Interior, explained the swap between the Phuket governor and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior was because the Permanent Secretary wanted someone to address problems in the area. He revealed the Prime Minister instructed three ministers to undertake reforms and told the opposition to watch their performance carefully.
At 12:05 PM on 16 June 2026 at the Government House, Mr. Phonphir Suwanchavee, Deputy Minister of Interior, revealed after the Cabinet meeting that the Cabinet had approved transferring Mr. Nirat Pongsiththaworn, Governor of Phuket Province, to serve as Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, while swapping Mr. Chotinrin Kerdsom, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, to become the new Governor of Phuket. He said this was because the Permanent Secretary wanted personnel to go address problems in the area.
When asked if this meant Mr. Nirat was unable to solve local problems, Phonphir said he did not mean that. He thought the Permanent Secretary had many factors to consider and needed to find someone to tackle issues in Phuket because problems had been ongoing. The Prime Minister had already visited the area, yet problems that should not exist remained. The Prime Minister was concerned about both business operators and citizens who were being exploited.
Regarding whether a committee would be formed to investigate this matter instead of just transferring officials, Phonphir said it depended on what the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior decided to do. The Prime Minister had called in all three ministers assisting the Interior Ministry to discuss the problems, and soon Phonphir himself would visit Phuket to review the situation.
When asked if solving these problems would help address the issue of local influential figures, Phonphir said he did not want to claim there were influential people in the area. However, if anyone exploited citizens, it was their duty to manage that. Under the Ministry of Interior's jurisdiction, officials must uphold dignity, protect, serve, and facilitate citizens to enable progress. Given the economic situation, everyone was suffering.
When asked about the opposition's claim that this problem-solving was merely a civil servant reshuffle, Phonphir said, “Just wait and see our performance.”
When asked how long Mr. Chotinrin would have to solve the problems, Phonphir said there was no fixed timeline, but the Prime Minister's orders were clear about what they needed to do. The Prime Minister described it as a sandbox that should be well managed. Importantly, many laws did not facilitate citizens and business operators effectively.
When asked if Mr. Nirat was willing to leave the area, Phonphir said he did not know, but he believed that any orders from superiors were sacred commands. He assumed discussions had already taken place. As Deputy Minister of Interior, he had no authority to transfer anyone; his role was only to oversee specific agencies.
Asked about the Prime Minister’s remarks during the Interior Ministry policy meeting that transferring provincial governors was not easy, yet the Cabinet approved Mr. Phonphir’s transfer today, Phonphir said that civil servant transfers in any ministry followed established procedures and regulations. The decision on 15 June was made by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, who also submitted the names to the Cabinet meeting today.
When asked whether he would investigate the claim that the Deputy Governor was moving the Governor, Phonphir said he would focus on supporting business operators and citizens in Phuket first. As for civil servants, he left management to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior. Currently, the priority was the people.
A reporter noted that the Cabinet considered transferring Mr. Nirat to Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Mr. Chotinrin to Governor of Phuket. The Ministry of Interior submitted this as an agenda item. At the Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and other ministers did not raise or object to the matter, and the Cabinet approved the transfer.