Governor Chotinrin, accompanied by his wife Paveenrisa Kerdsum, who now becomes President of the Phuket Provincial branch of the Ministry of INterior’s Housewives Association, started his first day by paying respects to the Phra Phuttha Thamrong Ming Mueang Buddha image and the guardian spirit shrine at the Phuket Provincial Hall.
On arrival, he was welcomed by heads of government departments and a host of other government officials.
Governor Chotinrin’s appointment was first approved by the Cabinet on June 16 but not formally published in the Royal Gazette until last Friday (June 26), clearing the way for him to assume office.
Born and raised in Pak Phanang district in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Governor Chotinrin becomes one of the few Phuket governors in recent years with deep roots in Southern Thailand.
The 58-year-old career bureaucrat brings extensive experience in southern provinces to the role, having previously served as Governor of Chumphon and later Songkhla before being appointed to Phuket.
Before his latest posting, Governor Chotinrin served as Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior.
His career has included several key positions in the South, notably serving as head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) office in Phuket, as well as vice governor posts in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong and Phang Nga.
Governor Chotinrin began his civil service career as a policy and planning analyst at the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).
He holds degrees in economics and public administration from Maejo University, a law degree from Ramkhamhaeng University and a PhD in Political Science from Ramkhamhaeng University.
Governor Chotinrin succeeds Nirat Phongsittithaworn, who had served as Phuket Governor since November last year before being transferred to a senior post at the Ministry of Interior amid a slew of corruption scandals that have rocked the island.