Pordpran Becomes First Female Sports Authority Chief
Pordpran Samanmit becomes the Sports Authority of Thailand's first female director in its 62-year history, appointed by the SAT board in August after rising through various leadership roles since joining the organization in 1991.
A selection committee chaired by Natthriya Tavivanggul, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, announced that two candidates passed screening from a total of ten applicants for the position of new SAT director. They are Dr. Meechai Inwud, deputy director for administration, and Pordpran Samanmit, deputy director for professional sports and muay boxing.
On August 19, the SAT board, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Thongsak Thongsri with Minister Surasak Panjaicharungkul as vice-chair, convened at Government House to select the new director. Reports confirm the board has appointed Pordpran Samanmit as the new director, making her the 14th leader of SAT and the first female director in the organization's 62-year history. The board has determined her remuneration and drafted an employment contract, which will be submitted to the State Enterprise Policy Office under the Finance Ministry for approval, then returned to the SAT board for final approval, followed by submission to the Cabinet for endorsement.
Pordpran Samanmit, nicknamed Tor, was born on April 1, 1969, and is currently 57 years old. She is from Khon Kaen province and holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Chulalongkorn University and a master's degree in public and private administration from Ramkhamhaeng University. She joined SAT on April 9, 1991, and has progressed through various roles: public relations director (2012–2017), director of the director's office (2017–2021), deputy director for strategy and information technology (2021–2022), deputy director for sports promotion (2022–2024), and most recently deputy director for professional sports and muay boxing (2024–present). She also completed the 66th course of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Defense and Deception Prevention program in 2023–2024. In 2025, the SAT board voted to appoint Pordpran Samanmit as the 14th director and the first female leader in the organization's history.
