Government Proposes Separate Sports Ministry, Merges Tourism with Culture
The Thai government has proposed splitting the Ministry of Tourism and Sports into two separate entities: a new Ministry of Sports to drive the sports industry, and a merged Ministry of Culture and Tourism to link cultural heritage with tourism development. The bill was presented to parliament by Minister Pharadon Prisananuntakul, who argued the changes will boost economic value from both sectors while improving budget efficiency.
In a House of Representatives session, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Pharadon Prisananuntakul, a Bhumjaithai Party MP for Ang Thong, was assigned by the Cabinet to present a bill amending the 2002 Ministries, Sub-Ministries, and Departments Act. Pharadon explained the legislation makes two key changes: establishing a Ministry of Sports by abolishing the current Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and creating a Ministry of Culture and Tourism by transferring tourism duties to the Culture Ministry. On the sports ministry, Pharadon said sport promotes public well-being at all ages and is a core state responsibility, warranting a dedicated ministry with direct authority to drive sports as an economic industry. On the culture-tourism merger, he noted tourism is a major revenue generator, and Thailand's cultural diversity and stability make the Culture Ministry a natural fit to oversee tourism, linking cultural preservation with tourism development. Pharadon concluded the restructuring would boost tourism revenue alongside cultural conservation, while making state spending on culture and tourism more cost-effective and efficient.
