Sasithara outshone the Minister
January 25, 2010 by Chanida Sa-ngiamphaisalsuk
Filed under Thailand
Dr Sasithara Pichaichannarong’s transfer to an inactive post of advisor to the PM’s Office was engineered by Minister of Tourism and Sports, Chumpol Silapa-archa.
Over the weekend in reports to the Thai press, he accepted full responsibility for the transfer claiming it was his sole decision, due to conflicts over budgets.
“I am the one who made the request to the Cabinet,” Mr Chumpol stated in a moment of unusual candor.
Chumpol Silapa-archa
He added that Dr Sasithara was viewed as an obstacle to smooth bureaucracy and there had been conflicts in his relationship with her over budget decisions.
“For example, I proposed a Bt15,500 million budget to help tourism business hotel owners who suffered after the airport closure. I signed the proposal, 31 December, for the Prime Minister, but until now I have met only silence. Therefore, I was thinking I had to do something dramatic to improve the Ministry’s working atmosphere and output.”
He claims his decision to shunt Dr Sasisthara into an inactive post will have no repercussions on the Tourism Authority of Thailand or the Sports Authority of Thailand.
“Dr Sasithara is now in, what I call, the PM’s Office clearing house .”
He was obviously irked by Dr Sasithara’s popularity with the travel industry and for possibly stealing the limelight from him by announcing major projects without giving him the credit.
Sasithara Pichaichannarong
“All the projects have been pushed by me after the 2008 crisis such as the tourist insurance scheme, discounted landing fee and parking fee, free visa, Cabinet resolutions on extending public holidays and road shows, all to win back confidence in the country. These were my achievements.”
He already has a couple of candidates lined up to take over the vacant post at the Ministry. In the queue at the ”Office of the PM clearing house” are Office of PM advisor and ex-Office of Tourism Development director-general, Thanitta Maneechote, and Bureau of Budget deputy permanent secretary, Arttachai Burakamkovit.
Mr Chumpol said he did not expect the permanent secretary to be a tourism expert, but they should be good at coordinating projects.
Asked to respond to the Federation of Thai Travel Agents’ assertion that Dr Sasithara should be reinstated, he said: “I am thankful for their comments. Fetta has the right to suggest, but I have the right to decide.”
Fetta came out in strong support for Dr Sasithara claiming she was one of a few people who fast-tracked responses to the 2008 airport closure to ensure the government responded in a timely fashion to a tourism crisis.
The geriatric self-importance shown here is a tragic sign of a country in decline. The minister was appointed as a make-work project to bow to his relatives and the clan and makes the ministry a dumping ground for political has-beens and never-wases. The fact that the one competent and clearly not corrupt bureaucrat left standing in Thai tourism has been sidelined shows that the pigs at the trough want only stature and don’t give a damn how many visitors the troubled kingdom gets. Amazing Thailand indeed. That this old toadie doesn’t care if the good Doctor’s replacement knows anything about tourism shows contempt to the people who make this industry happen, and contribute handsomely to Thailand’s shakey survival. Pass the Depends, quickly!