Bangkok: The Cabinet has officially appointed Raphiphat Chandrasriwong as the new Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, succeeding Winairoj Thrapsongsook, who is set to retire in September with seven years remaining in his term.
According to Thai News Agency, the appointment of Raphiphat Chantharasriwong, who served as Director-General of the Department of Agriculture, aligns with the strategy outlined by Suriya Jungrungruangkit, the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The strategy emphasizes the importance of selecting personnel from within the Ministry for Cabinet consideration. Raphiphat's career in international agricultural cooperation dates back to his tenure as Agricultural Attach© at the Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., spanning from 2005 to 2012, and later in Rome, Italy, where he represented Thailand at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from 2012 to 2014.
Raphiphat's extensive career also includes roles such as Assistant Secretary-General of the Cabinet from 2014-2016, Assistant Permanent Secretary from 2016-2019, Secretary-General of the Office of Agricultural Economics from 2019-2020, and Deputy Permanent Secretary from 2020-2022. Holding a Master's degree in Public Administration from Chaminade University of Honolulu and a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, Raphiphat has contributed significantly to the Ministry's initiatives.
During his term as Director-General, Raphiphat played a pivotal role in enhancing national crop production standards, promoting research and innovation, and developing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards to bolster agricultural exports. He also focused on quality control for exported fruits, the promotion of low-carbon agriculture, and the prevention of agricultural product fraud. Despite facing complaints related to the testing for BY2 in exported durian, a fact-finding committee was established to address the allegations. After an investigation, Raphiphat was reinstated as Director-General before his recent appointment as Permanent Secretary.
In addition to his new role, Raphiphat serves as an executive director of the Royal Project Foundation, president of the Soil and Fertilizer Association of Thailand, and director of the Advanced Agricultural Science Program. The Cabinet's decision places Raphiphat at the helm of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, where he will lead policy implementation under the guidance of Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit.