Worawong expressed concern that transfers within the Ministry of Commerce have demoralized civil servants and drained their motivation. He also extended congratulations to the new directors-general and deputy permanent secretaries, while regretting that quality officials Oramon and Pimchanok should have been assigned to major roles instead.
On 14 September 2026, Worawong Ramangkul, former assistant minister at the Ministry of Commerce, spoke about the Cabinet’s resolution on 8 September 2026 approving the appointment of nine senior civil servants in the Ministry of Commerce, as proposed by Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Supachai Suthampan. He sincerely congratulated all those appointed but expressed disappointment over the transfer of Oramon Supthaweetham and Pimchanok Pittfield to inspector roles within the ministry, emphasizing that they are productive civil servants with proven records.
Regretting Oramon, the expert in cracking down on nominee companies and illegal goods.
"Director-General Oramon rose through trade negotiation ranks, having served as Director-General of the Department of International Trade Negotiations, then the Department of Business Development, and most recently the Department of Intellectual Property. From my experience, she played a key role as secretary to the committee managing the crackdown on illegal foreign goods and nominee businesses that undermine Thailand’s economy."
I had the opportunity to collaborate with Oramon on one project: the Intelligence Business Analytics System (IBAS), which uses Big Data to screen legal entities suspected of being nominees. Since manually inspecting tens of thousands of targets would take too long, data-driven targeting was essential before deploying personnel. Oramon understood this from the start and pushed the system into practical use.
Worawong continued that these efforts, during the tenure of Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, led to 57,739 cases filed against substandard goods and 873 prosecutions of nominee companies, accounting for damages exceeding 15.587 billion baht.
Highlighting Pimchanok as a role model among female civil servants in the Ministry of Commerce.
Worawong said that Ambassador Pimchanok is a highly capable female executive and an admirable role model for women civil servants in the Ministry of Commerce.
He noted that he worked with Pimchanok on two important occasions: the signing ceremony of the free trade agreement between Thailand and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in Davos, and the official opening of the new Permanent Mission of Thailand to the World Trade Organization and World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.
"Pimchanok is a professional manager with energy and determination to get things done. Besides her skills, she has a pleasant personality and a sense of humor, making every project we worked on together filled with smiles and memorable stories."
Worawong added that another clear reflection of her dedication is her intent to continue advancing Thailand’s interests on the international stage. Then-Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan discussed with Daren Tang, Director General of WIPO, to support Thai representatives for key global positions. The current Cabinet later endorsed her nomination as Thailand’s candidate for Deputy Director General (DDG) and Assistant Director General (ADG) of WIPO, confirming her capabilities.
Congratulations to the new team, affirming no personal grievances.
Worawong emphasized that his concerns focus on how those transferred out are managed, not on the newly appointed individuals, all of whom he has worked with and considers talented.
Worawut Somwangprasert, who holds a doctorate from Japan and has diplomatic experience in Tokyo and Paris, brings expertise in promoting international trade across both Eastern and Western markets, a great asset for Thai exporters.
Meanwhile, Kittiwat Patchimnan, highly skilled in technology, now leads the Department of Business Development, which holds legal entity databases—a prime opportunity to convert data into strategic decision-making tools. Kanitta Kangsawanich, expert in intellectual property and international trade negotiations, was appointed ambassador to the WTO and WIPO, aligning personnel with their roles.
Manasnit Jirawat, promoted to deputy permanent secretary, rose through the Department of Foreign Trade and has experience in IT, product standards, and rice trade management.
Jittima Srithaporn, now Director-General of the Department of Intellectual Property, previously served as deputy director-general at both the Department of Intellectual Property and Department of Foreign Trade. Wathasak Sueam is a knowledgeable executive in agricultural commodity pricing; his return to lead the Department of Internal Trade benefits Thai farmers and consumers.
Concern over the country losing quality personnel.
Worawong concluded that he regrets for the country’s sake because Thailand is about to lose two highly capable officials at a time when such talent is most needed.
Previously, Karun Kittisathaporn, former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, posted on Facebook questioning Oramon’s transfer and stating that civil service reform cannot succeed while political appointments disregard meritocracy. Former Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn countered, noting the issue was that moving from ambassador to inspector was a demotion. Pimchanok confirmed plans to resign from civil service, originally intending to leave in February 2027 at the end of her term, and stated she held no anger or resentment.