Cabinet Approves Plan to Create Sports Ministry
Thailand's Cabinet approved plans to create a separate Sports Ministry and merge tourism with a new Culture Ministry, pending parliamentary approval and Senate passage expected by early next year.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Punthacharoenkulkul revealed on July 14, 2025, at Government House that the Cabinet approved a plan to reorganize and separate government agencies as proposed by the Civil Service Development Committee (CSDC). He noted staffing challenges ahead: in October, two deputy secretaries and two level-10 inspectors at the ministry will retire, leaving virtually no level-10 officials in the secretariat except the permanent secretary alone—a heavy workload. The Prime Minister expressed flexibility to allow additional appointments if necessary.
The restructuring plan, after Cabinet approval, must be sent to the House of Representatives for three rounds of voting and must pass the Senate. The timeline remains uncertain, but officials hope for completion by year-end or early next year to ensure smooth operations without disruption, pending a decision to defer senior civil service appointments.
Under the plan, the Sports Ministry will contain the Deputy Secretary's Office (merged), the Department of Physical Education, the Thailand Sports Commission, and the National Sports University. The Department of Tourism, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Tourist Police will move into a new Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Government Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced that the Cabinet approved the draft Reorganization Act affecting the Culture Ministry and Tourism-Sports Ministry as proposed by the CSDC. The restructuring creates a Ministry of Culture and Tourism (abolishing the separate Culture Ministry) to unify cultural and tourism operations under a single department with roles in religion, arts, culture promotion, and creative tourism industry development. Under this ministry: the Minister's Office, Permanent Secretary's Office, Department of Tourism, Department of Religious Affairs, Fine Arts Department, Culture Promotion Department, and Contemporary Art and Culture Office.
A separate Sports Ministry (replacing the Tourism-Sports Ministry) will oversee physical education, sports at all levels (grassroots, mass participation, elite, professional), recreation, education, research, sports science, innovation, technology, management, and sports industry development. Its departments include the Minister's Office, Permanent Secretary's Office, and Department of Physical Education.
Ratchada noted this aligns with the government's policy statement to parliament on April 9 regarding tourism and culture as economic drivers. Tourism generates economic value and directly connects to culture, traditions, local wisdom, and regional identity. Merging culture and tourism functions in one ministry will enable synergy.
