Phuket Immigration chief transferred

PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Immigration Superintendent Col Chanatpol Yongbunjerd is taking a transfer order to Immigration Headquarters in Bangkok in his stride, saying the new post will allow him to be near his family as he nears the civil service retirement age.

Col Chanatpol arrived in Phuket from Pattaya in late 2007.

Although initially perturbed about not having been given advance warning or the reasons behind the transfer, Col Chanatpol said he is now ready for the easier job as he is only eight months from retirement, and his new position will be less stressful. He will only have six staff working under him in Bangkok, compared to 30 here in Phuket.

The new job will have him working as a high-level liaison officer with foreign diplomatic staff, he said.

The transfer will also allow him to remain near his hospital in Bangkok, where he receives post-surgical treatment following bypass surgery, he said.

Col Chanatpol will leave Phuket on February 13.

His replacement will be Pol Col Phanuwat Ruamrak, with whom he will swap positions.

Other Immigration Police officers leaving Phuket under the transfer order include Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Chaiwut Junsomboon, who has been promoted to Superintendent of the Satun Immigration office.

He will be replaced by Lt Col Grissadakorn Klinkaset, currently an Inspector in Songkhla.

Also leaving the island will be Inspector Suparerk Pankosol, who will be promoted to Deputy Superintendent of the Alien Assistance Bureau in Bangkok.

Another familiar face at Phuket Immigration who will be leaving the island is that of Deputy Inspector Naphat Noosen, who for many years answered readers questions about visa-related issues in the Gazette‘s Issues and Answers column.

He will now serve as Deputy Inspector at Immigration Police Region 6 headquarters in Songkhla.

— Stephen Michael Fein