Tillerson, US President Donald Trump’s pick for the top diplomatic post in his administration, served as president of Esso Exploration and Production Korat from 1995-98. He was also president of Exxon Yemen at the time.
Tillerson scraped through a vote by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with 10 Democrats voting against his nomination; 11 Republicans voted in favour.
His nomination for the post by the new Republican president remains subject to a full vote by the Republican-majority Senate.
Tillerson, with a degree in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, oversaw the Thai exploration and production unit of Esso in Khon Kaen province. The unit operated a small natural-gas field. He was not permanently posted in Thailand; instead, he made trips from the United States.
His tenure coincided with the terms of three prime ministers: Banharn Silapa-archa, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh and Chuan Leekpai.
Tillerson became chief executive of Exxon Mobil Corp in 2006 and in that capacity visited the Thai operation in 2012.