TAT chairman steps down amid protests

       Staff angry at transfer of deputy governors
       Weerasak Kohsurat has stepped down as chairman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand following a staff protest over the board's decision to transfer TAT deputy governors.
       Mr Weerasak tendered his resignation with immediate effect yesterday to Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silpa-archa.
       Mr Weerasak will take up the position of director of the International Institute for Trade and Development,a post for which he was selected by the IITD board and planned to hold concurrently before his resignation from the TAT.
       Staff members were reportedly upset with the TAT board resolution of Sept 15 to transfer the deputy governors. The meeting was chaired by Mr Weerasak.
       The resolution ordered the reshuffle of the deputy governors and controversially assigned some to two or three responsibilities.
       TAT staff criticised the resolution as shameful and said they saw it as serving the interests of politicians.
       They earlier protested and demanded Mr Weerasak's ouster for allegedly allowing politicians to interfere in their work and spending the state enterprise's funding inappropriately.
       The TAT board resolved last week to demote Akkapol Phrueksawan, the deputy governor for tourism products,to a position of adviser with no administrative authority.
       Mr Akkapol was earlier considered one of the favourites to take up the TAT governorship.
       The TAT board resolved to move Pensuda Phrai-aram, the deputy TAT governor for administration, to replace Mr Akkapol as deputy governor for tourism products.
       Mrs Pensuda was also assigned the job of caretaker TAT governor until a
       permanent officer was appointed.
       The TAT board also offered Surapol Sawetseranee,deputy governor for policy and planning, the position of deputy governor for marketing communications.
       The resolution takes effect on Oct 1.
       The TAT labour union is said to be considering protests to show its opposition to the moves.A union source said not all members of the TAT management agreed with the resolution.
       The union would hold talks with the management before deciding whether to go ahead with a rally.
       Unionists want to know why Mr Akkapol was moved to an inactive post and why international markets had been split into two positions - a deputy governor for Asia and the South Pacific,and a deputy governor for Europe,Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.