Commerce Ministry Reshuffles Nine Senior Officials

The cabinet approved on September 8 the appointment of nine senior civil servants from the Commerce Ministry to senior management positions to fill vacancies and rotate senior leadership. Wityakorn Maninet, director-general of the Domestic Trade Department since 2024, has been promoted to deputy permanent secretary of the Commerce Ministry after serving as an inspector. Kittiwat Pajchimnan, a ministry inspector who continued his duties in August, moves to director-general of the Trade Development Board. Warawut Somwangprasert, formerly an inspector and later deputy director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department, has been appointed director-general of the International Trade Promotion Department. Kanidtha Kangsuwanit, a ministry inspector, has been appointed ambassador and permanent representative of Thailand to the WTO and WIPO in Geneva. Manasanit Jirwat, who served as a commerce technology consultant overseeing IT systems development, becomes deputy permanent secretary. Pimchanok Pitfield, who served as ambassador to the WTO and WIPO with responsibility for multilateral trade negotiations, returns to the inspector position. Orman Treapthuwithorn, director-general of the Intellectual Property Department responsible for IP protection and commercial IP promotion, moves to the inspector post. Wattanasak Suea-iam, senior inspector who conducted field audits across multiple provinces in July and August, becomes director-general of the Domestic Trade Department.