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History of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce

The Beginning of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce

During the administration of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, who served as Prime Minister of Thailand, the Chamber of Commerce Act B.E. 2509 (1966) was enacted and published in the Royal Gazette. The Act established the legal framework for the formation of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, which was designated to serve as the national representative organization for the private business and trade sector.

Subsequently, during the administration of General Prem Tinsulanonda, the government adopted a policy promoting the establishment of provincial chambers of commerce throughout the country. Under this policy, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce was assigned overall responsibility for implementation, while the Director-General of the Department of Internal Trade served as the central registrar of chambers of commerce. Provincial governors nationwide were appointed as provincial chamber registrars, with Provincial Commerce Offices acting as supporting agencies and reporting progress on a regular basis.

Phuket Province was among the provinces prioritized for the establishment of a provincial chamber of commerce. Around 1979, Saneh Wattanathorn, then Governor of Phuket Province, together with the Provincial Commerce Office, organized a meeting on 25 July 1979. The purpose of the meeting was to promote understanding of the roles and responsibilities of provincial chambers of commerce, as well as to introduce the concept of the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee for Economic Problem Solving at the provincial level to local businesspeople and entrepreneurs.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Thai Chamber of Commerce and officials from the Trade Institution Division of the Department of Internal Trade, who provided information and support regarding the establishment process. The delegation was led by Preecha Tanprasert, Vice Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Following the conclusion of the meeting, the Phuket Provincial Commerce Office coordinated with Jear Vanich, President of the Phuket Merchants Association; Poonperm Suwannakarn; and Surin Sudduan, Secretary of the Phuket Merchants Association, requesting that the association proceed with the establishment of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

Initially, the Phuket Merchants Association resolved to establish the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and dissolve the association in order to consolidate its missions and responsibilities under the newly established chamber. The original founding committee was assigned to continue the registration process for the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

A subsequent meeting was held on 31 January 1980, during which the participants agreed to expedite the establishment process and complete the registration of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce within February 1980. During this period, the office of the Phuket Merchants Association was relocated from the fresh market area to a temporary office on Dibuk Road, where Raya Restaurant is currently located.

Furthermore, at the 6/1980 monthly meeting held on 31 January 1980, the committee unanimously resolved to establish the Phuket Chamber of Commerce in place of the Phuket Merchants Association. The meeting also appointed nine committee members as founding representatives to proceed with the registration process for the Phuket Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, 11 March 1980. The founding representatives were as follows:

Poonperm Suwannakarn
Tilok Thavornwongwong
Weerapong Hongyok
Preedarom Komutphon
Surin Sudduan
Soo Aowattana
Wichai Juphiban
Sujin Saengsrirattanakul
Sanit Tantawes

Following the initial application for the establishment of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, several issues and obstacles arose. These included the fact that some founding committee members did not fully meet the required qualifications, the chamber’s emblem continued to use the original logo of the Phuket Merchants Association with only the name changed to “PKCC (The Phuket Chamber of Commerce),” and uncertainties regarding the official office location of the chamber. As a result, the registration process for the establishment of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce was temporarily suspended.

Due to these shortcomings, the Department of Internal Trade under the Ministry of Commerce proposed corrective measures and coordinated with the founding committee to revise and strengthen the chamber’s regulations prior to the issuance of the registration approval. Two amendments were specifically recommended as follows:

Article 25

The original wording was to be repealed and replaced with the following:

“Upon each election of a new Chamber of Commerce committee, whether upon completion of the committee’s term or in the event of the resignation of the entire existing committee, the newly elected committee shall submit an application for registration as the Chamber of Commerce committee to the Registrar of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce within 30 days from the date of election. The newly elected committee shall also receive the transfer of duties and responsibilities from the previous committee within 30 days from the date of registration approval by the Registrar. Should the newly elected committee fail to apply for registration within the prescribed period, the existing committee shall continue to perform its duties until the registration process is completed.”

Article 30

The wording:

“Within April of each year and not later than 120 days from the end of the Chamber’s fiscal year”

was revised to:

“Within April of each year or not later than 120 days from the end of the Chamber’s fiscal year.”

Apart from these two provisions, no other deficiencies were identified in the chamber’s regulations. However, during that period, the Phuket Merchants Association had not yet implemented the proposed amendments, causing the establishment process of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce to be postponed until late 1982.

Subsequently, during the presidency of Jirateep Ekphoemsap (formerly known as Thaworn Tantisiriphaibul), then President of the Phuket Merchants Association, the provincial authorities once again coordinated efforts to proceed with the establishment of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. This time, the establishment process was successfully completed on 17 November 1983, after both required amendments had been revised in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Internal Trade.

Thereafter, the First Annual General Meeting for the year 1984 was held on 19 March 1984. During the meeting, the first Board of Directors consisting of 21 members was officially appointed, with Jirateep Ekphoemsap elected as the first President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce.

Following the successful establishment of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the appointment of its first Board of Directors, the Chamber did not initially operate in a fully active capacity. During the early years, its activities were largely limited to participation in meetings of the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee for Economic Problem Solving at the provincial level. In addition, there was no clear evidence of systematic reporting of operational activities to the Ministry of Commerce.

This situation may have resulted from the fact that most members of the Board at that time were representatives from the Phuket Merchants Association, many of whom had not yet fully understood the roles and responsibilities of a chamber of commerce. Furthermore, Jirateep Ekphoemsap (formerly known as Thaworn Tantisiriphaibul) resigned from his position as President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce on 1 July 1988, citing personal business obligations. In addition, several committee members passed away during that period, which further affected the Chamber’s ability to operate effectively.

Due to the limited readiness of the private sector at the time, the Phuket Provincial Commerce Office proposed measures to revitalize the operations of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. The proposed approach included coordinating and inviting capable entrepreneurs and business leaders to participate in the Chamber’s administration, particularly by identifying suitable individuals to serve as President of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. The individuals considered included:

Ekpot Vanich
Athorn Tongwattana
Vichit Na Ranong
Somkiat Nganthawee
Tilok Thavornwongwong
Sujin Udomsap
Sunthorn Jirapatanasophon
Paiboon Upatisrung
Lt. Phumisak Hongyok

In addition, a proposal was made for the Governor or Deputy Governor of Phuket Province to serve as a personal advisor to the Phuket Chamber of Commerce in order to strengthen and support the Chamber’s operations. The objective was to enhance the Chamber’s effectiveness in driving the economic development of Phuket Province, while also supporting the implementation of the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee for Economic Problem Solving at the provincial level in accordance with the policies of the Ministry of Interior in a more concrete and practical manner.

These two strategic approaches for organizational improvement and development ultimately led to a meeting convened on 30 November 1988 for the appointment of a new Board of Directors of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce. On this occasion, the Governor of Phuket Province invited 49 prominent business leaders, merchants, and influential figures involved in the economic development of Phuket to participate in the meeting.

This event marked a significant turning point in the revitalization and transformation of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, ushering the organization into a “new era” of active development and operation. It also laid an important foundation for strengthening the organization and establishing its role as the central platform for private sector collaboration in driving the economic growth of Phuket Province — a mission that continues to this day.

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