The cabinet approved the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ proposal to appoint Proadprans Samarnmit as the governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand, government deputy spokeswoman Lalida Persvivatana said on Tuesday.
Proadprans’ appointment is in accordance with the resolution of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) board of directors last month and will be effective from Oct 1 to March 31, 2029.
Proadprans will be the 14th SAT governor and the first woman ever chosen to lead the national sports governing body.
She will succeed Dr Gongsak Yodmani, whose second term as SAT governor will come to an end on Sept 30 after an eight-year spell in charge.
Proadprans, 57, hails from Khon Kaen. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Chulalongkorn University and a master’s degree in political science (public and private sector management) from Ramkhamhaeng University.
She joined the SAT in 1991 and rose through the ranks within the organisation, holding positions such as director of public relations (2012-2017), director of the governor’s office (2017-2021), deputy governor for strategy and information technology (2021-2022), deputy governor for sports promotion (2022-2024) and deputy governor for professional sports and boxing (2024-present).