The governor of Chiang Rai, Narongsak Osotthanakorn, played an important role in the rescue operation of the 12 boys and the coach in Tham Luang cave from day one. Here's a portrait from The Nation newspaper.
It took the Thai public a week to appreciate the leadership role of Narongsak Osotthanakorn, the multifaceted governor of Chiang Rai. It was Narongsak who made clear plans for the rescue operation in the warroom. Officials and volunteers were assigned tasks to coordinate their efforts as efficiently as possible. Safety measures were emphasized and ensured that there were no casualties during the very difficult efforts to find the 12 young footballers and their coach in the chaotic conditions of the cave.
Such large-scale actions are difficult to coordinate, but Narong was up to the challenge. He made sure that the many-headed media did not get in the way of the aid workers and gave brief and clear information. He was active on the Line chat group and took down rumors there.
Narongsak has been governor of Chiang Rai for a year now. He arrived at the cave quickly and worked hard. Every day he went into the cave to assess the situation and he spoke regularly with the families of the stranded footballers and their coach.
Rescuers and bystanders alike were amazed at his multiple abilities, but that should come as no surprise when we examine his education and work experience. He has four Bachelor degrees. In 1985 that was for engineering at Kasetsart University and later in technology, law and public administration at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. This reflects his extensive knowledge and his thirst to tackle new subjects.
Before becoming governor, Narong worked in a senior position in the Department of Land Use and was head of the Department of Geographical Transformation and Technology. He used all this knowledge and experience to the fullest to encourage the rescue operations.
He was known throughout his career for his integrity, courage and honesty. He opened his mouth when he found something wrong. If he found a project suspicious, he refused to sign it.
During his time as governor, he held back several projects that received significant public attention because he felt they were not in the public interest. The people of Chiang Rai have never expressed any criticism or complaint against Narongsak.
Last April, the Royal Gazette already published his transfer as governor to Phayao province, which took effect at the beginning of this week. But for now, he will be in charge of rescue operations until all thirteen footballers are safely evacuated.
This is a very different story than that he said something wrong and was therefore transferred with immediate effect.
I only heard that the governor did his job well and never minced words, something that was not appreciated by everyone, but most people did. The governor also indicated that he would not put his signature under wrong projects. to make.
Khaosod gives some examples:
http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/crimecourtscalamity/2018/07/04/cave-rescue-saves-governors-job-at-least-for-now/
A transfer to a smaller province would unofficially be seen as a demotion.
Since his appointment last year, Narongsak has, among other things, tackled cases with an air of corruption, for example, he ordered the investigation of a 300 million baht waste treatment plant and a 13 million baht aquarium. He also refused to sign for a 50 million baht project for some tourist attraction - he thought that money could be better spent on roads and other infrastructure. And 32 million baht for building a large statue of an old king on an island in the middle of a river, he was also against because of the risk of damage to nature.
Khaosod paints a picture of a bright man who has no ears for prestige projects or things that stink and who does not hide his opinion. Sounds like a good governor to me.
Well,
This is a completely different story than what was regularly reported in the media.
I already understood that the decision to transfer was made much earlier than the “cave”.
The government wants governors to “roll” every year to prevent corruption.