Prasarn's departure sad for all
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Re: "A chat with the BOT governor is like a good, long read", Streetwise, June 23.
Achara Deboonme’s lament that the coming retirement of Bank of Thailand governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul is “unfortunate for the press” is an understatement. It is also unfortunate for the BOT.
The man is humble and not drunk with power. It is not his habit to bend his belief to the calls of any strongman or politician. Many times during his tenure he was insulted by those in power and by leading but biased economists. He was called incompetent, unpatriotic and stubborn in not letting go of the country’s cash reserves to support their pet projects. His poker face frustrated all adversaries who wanted him sacked.
Their wish never materialised, possibly because of his good record. His past and integrity are unassailable. He was one of the leaders of the October 14, 1973, pro-democracy student uprising, the watershed moment in modern Thai history. Without a doubt he is a man of principle.
Songdej Praditsmanont
