Thai PBS chief shown the door

THE BOARD of governors of Thai PBS, the public TV station, yesterday sacked its director-general Somchai Suwanban after he failed to follow its instructions on how to improve the station’s competitiveness.

In its memo to Somchai terminating his employment, the board explained that he was sacked because he had ignored its suggestions to solve the problems of Thai Public Broadcasting Service. They also said he had no plan to manage the changes or a strategy to stay competitive, according to an informed source.

The nine-member board also said Somchai repeatedly broke a regulation by approving four projects costing more than Bt50 million each without receiving the green light from the board.

The board’s memo to Somchai said his employment contract was being terminated without compensation, according to a source. The memo was signed by board chairman Assoc Professor Narong Petchprasert.

Somchai yesterday threatened to take his case to the Administrative Court.

The ousted Thai PBS director-general said he had discussed with his legal adviser about taking legal action against the board for revoking his employment contract before the end of his term in October next year.

The sacking comes three years after he was hired to serve in the post and a year before his four-year term ends on October 9, 2016.

Regarding the digital TV network project, for which the board faulted him, Somchai yesterday insisted that all processes were approved by the policy committee. The project began in October 2013.

“Although there was a controversy about transparency of the project, the investigation is still underway and I am waiting to be heard. Why did the committee make a decision on this matter?” he asked. 

“I strongly believe the decision was not fair or legitimate,” he stressed.

A source familiar with Thai PBS said that in last year’s evaluation by the board, Somchai barely passed, with a split vote by board members. 

The board was unhappy that the station’s rating had declined and that Somchai had failed to improve the situation, the source said.

Somchai, who was a member of the Thai PBS board previously, succeeded Thepchai Yong as the top executive of the station. Before that, Somchai headed the Thai news section at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 

After assuming the top post at Thai PBS, he was criticised for lacking experience in management. His leadership was also questioned in times of crisis and over many controversies involving the public broadcaster.

The termination of Somchai’s employment contract was accompanied by three of his deputies – Mongkol Lilatham, Supoj Jingjit and Wanchai Tantiwitthayaphan – also being sacked.

In its statement issued yesterday, the Thai PBS board of governors announced that Puangrat Songmuang, the station’s programme director, would serve as caretaker director-general until Somchai’s replacement is appointed.

The selection of a new director-general is expected to be announced next week, according to the source.

Yesterday’s sacking of Somchai took place a day after Media Monitor Foundation for Media Studies, a non-profit organisation, said Thai PBS was able to respond to public needs better than other public broadcasters such as TV5 and NBT. The foundation on Thursday organised a discussion entitled “From Thai PBS to the Future of Public Broadcasting Service in Thailand”.

Earlier, Thai PBS was questioned as to whether the annual budget of Bt2 billion it got from earmarked tax was spent efficiently.

Writers of the previous constitution draft had attempted to control the earmarked tax allocated to Thai PBS and some other independent agencies. The drafters argued that the earmarked tax should be curbed to prevent the emergence of new agencies, which could lead to politicians misusing tax money for populist policies. 

Thai PBS, a state-owned TV station modelled after the United Kingdom’s BBC, charges the equivalent of 1.5 per cent of the same base, but not exceeding Bt2 billion a year.