BANGKOK — 2 July 2026, Thailand is moving ahead with plans to establish a standalone Ministry of Sports, while merging tourism responsibilities with the Ministry of Culture under a major government restructuring.
Sports and Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said that the reform, proposed under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has made significant progress since he took office.
Speaking to sports reporters, Surasak said the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) is expected to submit the framework for Cabinet approval at the meeting on 7 July 2026.
Under the proposal, the existing Ministry of Tourism and Sports would be split, with sports becoming a separate ministry. Tourism would be merged with the Ministry of Culture to form the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Surasak said the original roadmap envisioned the restructuring taking three years, but the process has moved much faster than expected.
While the new Sports Ministry could be established by the end of 2026, he believes a launch in 2027 is more realistic.
If approved, the reform would make sports a dedicated government portfolio while aligning tourism with cultural policy under a single ministry.