Phuket Airport immigration chief transferred amid nepotism claims
Police Colonel Padthongtew Damapong, chief of Phuket Airport Immigration, has been promoted to head Nonthaburi Immigration, part of the Greater Bangkok area after only ten months.
The move, which follows another fast-tracked promotion just 10 months earlier, raised eyebrows due to his high-profile family connections.
Pol. Col. Padthongtew is the nephew of Khunying Potjaman na Pombejra, the ex-wife of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
His promotion was officially confirmed in an order signed by Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Bunyalak, Commander of the Immigration Bureau, on February 28, and took effect on March 3.
Despite serving 15 months as Phuket’s immigration chief, his actual presence at the airport had been questionable, with Pol. Col. Atisak Panya frequently acting in his place since October 1, 2023.
Oddly, official records still listed him as chief as late as December 24, when he was named in a meeting with FBI legal attaché Caroline A. Marshall at the US Embassy in Thailand.
His replacement at Phuket Airport Immigration is Pol. Col. Russarin Teerapattanakul, formerly Deputy Director of the Immigration Bureau’s Division 4.
She is now officially the Director of the Phuket Immigration Checkpoint, making her the first female officer to lead the Phuket Airport Immigration unit. The significance of her appointment underscores the importance of Phuket as a major international gateway.
Phuket Airport Immigration has yet to publicly acknowledge Pol. Col. Padthongtew’s promotion, even though his transfer has now been implemented.
The rapid promotions of Pol. Col. Padthongtew have long been scrutinised. In 2023, Rangsiman Rome of the then-Move Forward Party (now the People’s Party) questioned how he was appointed as Phuket’s immigration chief just 10 months after leading an administrative unit at the Immigration Bureau headquarters.
His background also adds to the intrigue. Born in Los Angeles, he was eligible for US citizenship before moving to Thailand at age 10.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Thammasat University and a master’s in public administration from the University of Southern California. Married with four children, his meteoric rise through the ranks continues to spark debate.
With ongoing concerns about nepotism in Thailand’s police force, this latest promotion has only fuelled speculation about the true nature of his career trajectory, reported The Phuket News.
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