He will replace Suraphon Svetasreni whose contact will end December 21.
TAT’s board chairperson, Pensuda Prai-aram, said the board agreed to name Thawatchai as the TAT’s ninth governor with effect from December 22.
“Mr Thawatchai is the most qualified person for the post…his vision and ability will help move TAT forward in a changing tourism industry,” she said.
There were just two candidates for the post. The other was Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT’s deputy governor for international marketing for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.
The candidates each had to present their vision to a five-member selection committee, chaired by Ministry of Tourism and Sports permanent secretary Suwat Sidthilaw.
Their confidence, leadership, crisis management and ability to cooperate with the private and government sectors were also considered.
Mr Suwat commented that Mr Thawatchai had won the race because he had convinced the panel of his leadership qualities and strong confidence. He also proposed a practical plan on how to cooperate with other players in the tourism industry.
The State Enterprise Policy Office will now consider his salary and draw up a work contract.
The new governor will face the tough challenge of meeting the government’s target of B2 trillion in tourism revenue by 2015, set out by the current administration.
Mr Thawatchai, who has worked in the TAT for more than 30 years, will face an evaluation every six months. However, as he is already 57 years and 10 months old, he will not be able to complete a full four-year term before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 60 late in the second year of his contract.
Some industry critics will argue that the new governor will have at the most two years to achieve his objectives before retiring. They may go as far as to suggest the board should have appointed a person who could complete a full four-year term to provide continuity and stability.