MTCO Appoints Suvimol Thanasarakij as Executive Director

(25 Mar 2022, 11:46 +07)  The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has appointed Ms Suvimol 'Dee' Thanasarakij as Executive Director.

Khun Dee has over 25 years of experience working within the travel and tourism industry, starting her career with the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok as Events Manager.

Suvimol 'Dee' Thanasarakij

From there, Dee spent just over 3 years with Centara Hotels & Resorts working as Sales Support Manager before joining PATA in 2010 as Executive Assistant to the CEO.

In 2012, Dee became a contract-based Tourism Consultant for the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN). Just over 8 years later she joined Strategic Capacity Group as a full time Consultant, her most recent role prior to joining MTCO.

“We are happy to welcome Ms Suvimol to our GMS tourism family, particularly as she is the first female Executive Director, and the first one with Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) nationality in MTCO’s 16-year history,” said Mr Somxay Sipaseuth, Deputy Director General of Tourism Development Department from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism Lao PDR, which is also Chair of the upcoming 49th GMS Tourism Working Group Meeting. “Suvimol brings to MCTO her extensive experience in tourism industry and an in-depth expertise in international cooperation and project management. With her proven capacity to build strategic international partnerships and bolster support for various programs, we are confident that she will be a force in driving GMS tourism cooperation forward in this exciting, but also challenging time.”

Dee holds a Masters Degree in Tourism Management from the University of Surrey in the UK. She graduated with honors from Assumption University in Bangkok, Thailand, with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, with Hotel Management major.

“I am honored to be selected as MTCO’s Executive Director, succeeding Mr Jens Thraenhart,” Dee said. “I look forward to working closely with the MTCO Board, international organizations, development partners, other travel and tourism stakeholders in promoting GMS countries as a single destination and supporting regional tourism development for a sustainable and inclusive recovery.”

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