BANGKOK, 9 March 2026 – The Board of Directors of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) has reappointed Suvimol Thanasarakij (Dee) as Executive Director for a new two-year term beginning in mid-March 2026, following an open international recruitment process, with shortlisted candidates interviewed by the MTCO Board in February 2026.
“I am grateful for the MTCO Board’s trust and honored to continue working with the GMS tourism community and our partners to promote the Mekong region as a vibrant and sustainable destination,” said Thanasarakij. “Regional cooperation remains essential to strengthening tourism development, supporting local communities, and enhancing the region’s competitiveness in the global tourism market.”
During her previous two terms (2022–2026), Thanasarakij led a range of regional initiatives supporting tourism businesses and cooperation among the GMS countries. These included the Women in Community-Based Tourism (CBT) Training-of-Trainers programme, which built a regional network of trainers who later delivered follow-up training for local women in their home countries. MTCO also partnered with Agoda to deliver a regional e-commerce training programme for MSME accommodation providers, helping tourism businesses in secondary destinations strengthen their online presence and access global travel markets.
Under her leadership, MTCO facilitated the development of the GMS Tourism Strategy 2030, the region’s five-year framework for tourism cooperation. The organization is currently coordinating the GMS Tourism Marketing Action Plan, a roadmap for joint destination promotion across the Mekong region. Progress has also been made toward establishing the Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Organization (GMSTO), an intergovernmental body being established by the GMS member countries.
In her new term, Thanasarakij will continue working with the GMS National Tourism Organizations and regional partners to advance the implementation of the GMS Tourism Strategy 2030, strengthen regional tourism partnerships, and promote sustainable tourism development across the Mekong region.
About MTCO
Established in 2006, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is a tourism collaboration framework of the six Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) governments: Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The member countries work together to implement initiatives that strengthen tourism’s contribution to inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability in the region. MTCO’s work programme is guided by the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), composed of senior representatives of the National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) of the six member countries.
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