Province governor transfer 2012 (Part 1)

The annual province governor reshuffle has begun. In the cabinet meeting on September 4 the first part of the reshuffle list compiled by the Ministry of Interior was approved, moving four province governors to other posts within the ministry.

Most notable is probably the case of the Chiang Mai governor Mom Luang Panadda Diskul, a grandson of Prince Damrong, was moved to an inactive post as deputy permanent secretary. As he belongs to the Royalist faction and was appointed to this prestigious province by the Democrat led government in 2010, it is no big surprise he wasn't able to keep this position now Pheu Thai leads the government. As The Nation reports

In June 2011, Pheu Thai member Chalerm Yoobamrung said Pannadda would definitely face the axe if the Pheu Thai won an election and became a coalition leader.

This promise by the Deputy Prime Minister was kept, though it is a bit surprising it wasn't done in last year's reshuffle already. Note that it is not the fact that he did not stay in the province which is the punishment, it is the inactive position which he was assigned. It is quite normal that province governors receive new posts after one or two years in one province, only rarely a governor stays longer in one province.

The other notable change is that the province governor of Nakhon Ratchasima will become new director-general of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA, strangely abbreviated by The Nation as PAD). Also the other two transfers are promotions to become heads of departments within the MOI.

The full list of transfers approved found in the cabinet meeting transcript now consists of seven transfers, of which only four are province governors. All the transfers will be effective October 1st.

• Mom Luang Panadda Diskul (ม.ล.ปนัดดา ดิศกุล), governor of Chiang Mai to become deputy permanent secretary in the MOI.
• Chuan Sirinanporn (นายชวน ศิรินันท์พร), governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, to become director-general of DOPA.
• Kaenphet Chuangrangsee (นายแก่นเพชร ช่วงรังษี), governor of Udon Thani, to become director-general of the Department of Local Administration (DOLA).
• Chatchai Phromlert (นายฉัตรชัย พรหมเลิศ), governor of Lopburi, to become director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation.