Mr Sophon has served as Governor of Chaiyaphum for only one year, taking up the post there on Oct 1 last year, the Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, reported yesterday (Sept 18).
Before then, however, Mr Sophon served as an Inspector General at the Ministry of Interior (Dec 15, 2021 - Sep 30, 2022), and before that post he served as Deputy Governor of Loei Province (Oct 1, 2017 - Dec 14, 2021).
His highest academic achievement is graduating with a Higher Diploma in Public Administration and Public Law at King Prajadhipok’s Institute in Bangkok.
At 58 years old, Mr Sophon is not scheduled to officially retire from government service until Oct 1, 2025, Phuket Info Center noted.
Current Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew entered a 15-day ordainment as a monk at a temple in Lamphun province to make merit ahead of his official retirement as Governor of Phuket on Sept 30.
With his 15-day ordainment complete, Governor Narong returned to formal duties last Friday (Sept 15), attending an event in Bangkok to join the heads of local Phuket municipalities and tambon administrative organisations (OrBorTor) in receiving certificate awards for serving as ‘Outstanding agency in using the Traffy Fondue platform to serve the people’.
Governor Narong arrived in Phuket in June 2020 to replace Phakaphong Tavipatana, who had come under fierce criticism for his handling and implementation of COVID-19 policies.
According to reports in the Thai media online at the time, some people said Governor Phakaphong did too little too late, while others reported that the measures he rolled out were too harsh. Mr Phakaphong was assigned to the post of Governor of Phetchaburi.
Before his posting to Phuket, Governor Narong, a native of Phatthalung, had also previously served as Governor of Chaiyaphum province.