When she joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand 36 years ago, Pornsiri Manoharn did not dream that one day she would be appointed head of the state agency.

"I never thought about becoming the governor. I just did my job. Right now, I still don't turn my head when called 'governor'. I only turn around when called 'Than Rong' or 'Phi Puk'," she says with a laugh during an interview shortly after her official appointment on January 11.

"Than Rong" means deputy governor, while "Puk" is her nickname.

Pornsiri joined the TAT immediately after her graduation from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Arts. The path she chose was far different from her dream of becoming a teacher.

"I loved teaching, so I enrolled in the Faculty of Arts," she says. "But when I was about to graduate, I saw a TAT brochure. It was beautifully produced, showing a Thai girl in traditional costume. I was so impressed that once I graduated, I immediately applied for a job at the TAT. And I have worked here ever since."

Since her major was English, she became part of the foreign office, where she worked for seven years.

At 58, Pornsiri, who became the seventh governor since the TAT was established in 1960, is certainly energetic enough to handle her job.

Driving her towards the goal of boosting the tourism industry is a lesson from one of her predecessors: "The tourism industry benefits the entire country. Tourists always have eggs for breakfast, which benefits farmers. Many others are involved and they also gain."

"Last year, tourist arrivals reached 13.8 million," she says. "Calculate how many eggs they have eaten, multiplied by the average stay of eight days."

She seems content with the job that pays her Bt200,000 per month, slightly more than half of what her predecessor Juthamas Siriwan received.

She admits that she is a hard-worker, staying in her office till late at night. Since the central air-conditioning system at the TAT office on Phetchaburi Road is turned off in the evening, she opens a door that leads to her small garden.

Her dedication paid off when she was one of three short-listed final candidates to become TAT governor. Supporting her is her extensive experience in both international and domestic marketing. Pornsiri was stationed in London, Singapore and Australia.

Under her contract, Pornsiri will remain in office for two years and nine months. Though the contract is short, she is confident of success.

"I will seek more communication with the private sector," she says. "While I was the deputy governor, I also had a number of meetings with provincial governors of all four regions, district chiefs and provincial administrative bodies. This will continue."

She will also reach out to members of the Tourism Council to understand their problems and how the TAT can help.

Pornsiri believes Thailand has the potential to bring in many more tourists due to the strength of the private sector and well-known destinations and cultural attractions. She acknowledges there are hindrances towards this goal, such as a shortage of guides.

"When we say that we have a number of guides to accommodate Chinese tourists, we mean only those who can speak Mandarin. We still have many tourists who speak Cantonese," she says, adding that she will work with other state agencies to solve the problem.

Though there are many challenges in the face of continuing bad news about Thailand - the latest being the scandals at Suvarnabhumi Airport - Pornsiri is optimistic. She says she is not alone in pushing the TAT forward.

She says all the staff at the agency are experienced and can give her crucial help. During the interview, she turned and asked one officer: "How long have you been here? Twenty years? See, everybody here has worked for such a long time and they know their job."

And she is like a mother hen when she hears criticism that the TAT is inefficient.

"We have 900 staff, but our coverage area is huge," she counters. "They have to work at 18 overseas offices and 30 domestic offices across the nation."

And she is confident that she can do her work well, given her long-time experience at the TAT and her avid participation in international travel organisations. She is now one of 150 board members of the 4,000-strong Pacific Asia Travel Association. Her involvement also earned her a seat on the five-person nominating committee to select new board members.

"I'm not a quiet type who sits idle," she says. "That would damage the image of Thailand."

 Achara Deboonme

 The Nation