The TAT invited the public to apply for the top post on October 5. The agency announced the search for a new governor would run to October 31. Officials acknowledged no one showed up on the first day.

TAT governor selection committee president Kriangsak Lohachala said applicants might need time to prepare the necessary documentation, which includes a five-page paper on their vision for the tourism industry and how he or she plans to manage the authority.

There is also the possibility that TAT officials are reluctant to present their applications until the political situation is clearer. In the past, TAT executives who were unsuccessful in applying for the post were often demoted or placed in inactive posts by the successful candidate, who has always been an insider.

It is possible high-ranking officials are watching each other carefully, to see who will make the first move.

It is unlikely that TAT executives would compete for the post against each other, knowing the penalty that accompanies failure.

Kriangsak said the new governor must not be older than 60 as of the application date, should not be on a current TAT committee and could not be involved in politics.

Applications are being accepted daily from 9am to 4pm in the Personnel Division of TAT headquarters.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation