TCT appoints its first director

Tourism Council of Thailand has appointed retired Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board deputy secretary-general, Wilaiporn Liwgasemsan, as its first director.

The council hopes the appointment will help raise its profile in the tourism industry, which is often over shadowed by the more popular Federation of Travel and Tourism Associations.

“I was part of the team that established TCT,” she said shortly after her appointment. “So I would like to help it to represent the industry and work in line with the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Federation of Thai Industries objectives.”

She retired from the NESDB, 30 September, 2009. Her appointment with TCT was effective, 1 January.

TCT president, Kongkrit Hirunyakit, said the post was vacant since 2001 although the Tourism Council of Thailand Act BE 2544 indicates that a director is required on a three-year term and renewable by the TCT president.

The director will  coordinate between government departments and TCT members, while delivering information and forecasts to members through a forecast centre that will be set up in two months with Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Economics.

She will also draft the TCT’s quarterly working papers and an annual tourism strategic plan to reflect the private sector’s views on tourism strategy.

Two more staff will be recruited for the office, which is located at the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s head office on Petchaburi Road, Bangkok.