The Cabinet approved restructuring ministries by merging Culture with Tourism and separating Sports into a separate ministry.
On 14 July 2026, Ms. Ratchada Thanadirek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced the Cabinet's decision to approve in principle the draft Act to improve ministries, bureaus, and departments. This includes restructuring the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, as proposed by the Public Sector Development Commission (PDC). The draft will be urgently sent to the Office of the Council of State for review before being forwarded to the government whip for consideration and submission to the House of Representatives.
This restructuring aligns with the government's economic policy announced on 9 April 2026, which recognizes tourism and culture as key drivers for economic value creation, given their direct interconnection. Combining these functions will enhance unified management and effectively use cultural Soft Power to boost tourism. Meanwhile, sports, as a strategic area for human resource development and the sports industry, should have a dedicated ministry overseeing it directly.
The core of this draft Act is to dissolve and separate the duties of the former Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Culture into two new ministries. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism will merge their functions, while Sports will become an independent Ministry of Sports. This restructuring will not increase the number of positions, personnel, or overall budget ceilings, adhering to the government's policy emphasizing reducing redundancy and managing public funds efficiently to maximize the effectiveness of state operations.