The election was held during the association’s 2026 Annual General Meeting at the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chaofa Hotel yesterday (July 22). The meeting brought together association members, government officials, private sector representatives and educational institutions.
Governor Chotinrin congratulated Mr Sarayuth on his appointment and said cooperation between the public and private sectors would be key to strengthening Phuket’s competitiveness and supporting its goal, still, “of becoming a sustainable world-class tourism destination”.
The newly elected 11-member executive committee unanimously selected Mr Sarayuth, who has more than 30 years’ experience in the tourism industry and has long been involved with the association, to serve as president.
The meeting included seminars on developing convention facilities to support the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) sector, the Erasmus+ scholarship programme to expand international education and research cooperation, trends in long-haul tourism with a focus on the Middle East market, and the impact of global geopolitical developments on Thailand’s tourism industry.
The association also reviewed its activities over the past year and discussed future priorities for Phuket’s tourism sector.
The newly elected executive committee comprises Panatchakorn Jaiyen, Kanokkorn Phruksakit, Thanawat Ongcharoen, Karn Ekwanich, Sathiaphong Lojanaphiwat, Rangsimant Kingkaew, Puttipong Kitipraphorn, Sarayuth Mallam, Supattra Charuariyannont, Sasit Thawornwong and Nantida Atiseth.