Eight Candidates Disqualified for Thai Sports Authority Director Role
Only two of ten applicants qualified for Thai Sports Authority Director-General, with eight disqualified for failing to meet a strict requirement of managing organizations valued at least 1 billion baht in the past three years.
A selection committee chaired by Natthireya Taweevongse, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, announced that only 2 of 10 applicants for the Director-General position of the Thai Sports Authority passed the qualification screening. The two candidates are Dr. Meechai Inwud, Deputy Director-General for Administration, and Prodpran Samanmit, Deputy Director-General for Professional and Muay Thai Sports, who will proceed to English language testing on August 10, 2025, and interviews on August 13, 2025.
Reporters were informed that the low pass rate stems from strict qualification criteria requiring candidates to have managed an organization or agency valued at no less than 1 billion baht within the past three years. Three to four candidates failed on this criterion alone. Former sports federation chairmen who applied do not meet the requirements, as federation leadership is not classified as managing an organization despite administrative connections to state enterprises. Police Lieutenant Colonel Chaiporn Ofuewong, Deputy Director of the Legal Affairs and Litigation Office of the Royal Thai Police, did not qualify because his position was not at the level of department head or executive management.
Regarding Mallika Bunmeerat Mahasuk, a former national cycling athlete and recent Bangkok governor candidate, she was disqualified for incomplete documentation. Although she stated her education level in her application, she did not attach her educational credentials. Additionally, she submitted her vision statement at 4:48 p.m., 18 minutes past the 4:30 p.m. deadline set by the committee on July 29, resulting in incomplete documentation at the cutoff time.
The committee stated there is no political pressure at present and will select the most suitable candidate based on management experience, English language test results, and interview performance. Only one recommended name will be forwarded to the Thai Sports Authority Board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Tongsorod, for approval, before submission to the Cabinet for final consideration.
"We strictly adhere to the qualification criteria and treat all applicants fairly," the committee stated. "However, if candidates do not meet the standards, they must be eliminated. Some applicants had managed only 18 million baht or up to 600 million baht, but the requirement is 1 billion baht. This criterion was reintroduced to ensure the most capable person manages Thai sports."
