Ampon tipped as BOT chairman
AMPON KITTIAMPON, secretary-general of the Cabinet; MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, former finance minister and ex-governor of the Bank of Thailand; and Narongchai Akrasanee, former commerce minister, have emerged as the major candidates for the position of cen
Virabongsa Ramangkura retired from the post last Thursday.
Ampon, who is now a member of the central bank’s board and its Monetary Policy Committee, is expected to be nominated by Areepong Bhoocha-oom, permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry.
Pridiyathorn and Narongchai are expected to be nominated by the current governor, Prasarn Trairatvorakul. Ampon, however, is tipped to be the leading candidate.
Chanchai Boonritchaisri, assistant governor of the management assistance group at the central bank, said last week that he was not in a position to reveal the list of candidates as he was not being kept informed of the names being submitted to the screening committee.
Those candidates, however, have already been evaluated for their qualifications and are being submitted further to Suparat Kawatkul, former permanent secretary for finance, who chairs the screening committee.
Suparat has called for an appointment to hold the meeting of the screening committee to select the new chairman.
A source close to the matter said the three candidates have already passed the evaluation stage with flying colours. The selection of the new chairman will be made at the screening committee’s meeting scheduled for tomorrow. The name of the new chairman will be then submitted to Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong for presentation to the Cabinet for approval.
Chanchai said the term of the new chairman would run until May 2015. If the candidate sits on the central bank’s board, he must resign from the board prior to taking the new chairman’s position.
Ampon’s term on the board will conclude at the end of this year. Besides Ampon, the members of the central bank’s board whose terms will end this year are Siri Kancharoendee and Bovornsak Uwanno.
