First female appointed as Thai permanent secretary for foreign affairs

BANGKOK, August 18 (TNA) - The Cabinet has approved the appointment of the first-ever Thai female to become the new Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, taking effect from October 1, 2016. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told journalists of the update after the Cabinet's weekly meeting on August 17. Don said that the newly-appointed permanent secreatry for foreign affairs, Busaya Mathelin, who is the Thai Ambassador to Belgium currently, will replace Apichart Chinwanno, who retires on September 30. According to the minister, Busaya will be the first female to take the position of the Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs due to her competency and suitability, including her performances and experiences as a former director general of the Department of European Affairs and a former ambassador to Senegal and Spain. The minister noted that the would-be permanent secretary for foreign affairs would take the new office over the next three years before her retirement, considered enough time for her to help lay out practical administrative and operational systems for the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (TNA)