Thai govt gives its arch-enemy a new position

[webfact]

Govt gives its arch-enemy a new position
Supinda na Mahachai,
Jeerapong Prasertpolkrung,
Janjira Pongrai
The Nation


Damrong Phidet

Damrong to be made vice minister despite his previous row with authorities

BANGKOK: -- One of the biggest surprises among the names approved by the Cabinet for a pending reshuffle at government agencies was that of Damrong Phidet as a vice minister.

It was not that long ago that Damrong, who was previously chief of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, had a huge row with the current government. He even set up his own political party last year.

Yet the Secretariat of the Prime Minister proposed Damrong's appointment as a vice minister, and the Cabinet approved it. His tenure will kick off as soon as the prime minister names the ministry he will be assigned to.

"A Pheu Thai Party executive invited me to take this post so I can help with forestry/wildlife work," Damrong said yesterday, adding that he had accepted the offer because his new job would be in line with the principles of his party.

"If I am assigned to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, I will continue cracking down on resorts that have encroached on national parks," he said.

Meanwhile, Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang said his nominees for the posts of secretaries-general of the Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) and the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), as well as the new permanent secretary for Education, had already won Cabinet approval.

The new Ohec chief will be Thosaporn Sirisumphand, who is now serving as the secretary-general of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, while the incumbent Ohec chief, Apichart Jeerawuth, will take over the helm of Obec.

Suthasri Wongsamarn, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Education Council, will become the new permanent secretary of the Education Ministry. Suthasri is an old friend of the minister dating back to their days at Chiang Mai University.

"Their appointments will go into effect from October 1," Chaturon said. He added his nominations were based on each person's ability to produce great work together.

Separately, the Cabinet yesterday approved the appointment of Pathum Thani Governor Siripong Hantragul as the new director-general of the Provincial Administration Depart-ment, and Lamphun Governor Pinij Harnpanich as the new director-general of the Lands Department.

The Cabinet also approved the appointment of Ampon Kittiampon as chairman of the Bank of Thailand.


-- The Nation 2013-08-21

[CrisRMenumate]

Nothing like a nice political appointment to calm down a controversy... or a critic?.

[Robby nz]

What will be next Abhisit for deputy PM.

[NongKhaiKid]

A PTP appointee will of course follow the law and his conscience without any other consideration or influence.

he's been nicely roped in because if he rocks the boat he's out of a job, again.

[gemini81]

He needs to reshuffle that moustache.

BTW don't do yabba for a week.

CCC

Just be grateful there's someone in there to challenge a dictatorship.

[geriatrickid]

You guys are criticizing the wrong person. He's not the type of person to back down, even if handed a plum job. What he may do is work with others to make positive change.

On the other hand, you guys missed an appointment that should have you shrieking like excited farangs at the fake clearance sales at Central.

Dr. Ampon Kittiampon is going to become Chairman of the Bank of Thailand. He's in the good graces of the Democrat party, as well as the PTP, but I wonder if he's the right guy for the job. He's chairman of a troubled airline and he's tied in to PTT, the folks that gave us the oil spill and did a disappearing act. He's as hiso and as connected as they come in Thailand. Appreciably he's been on the board at the bank for some time and it will allow for a smooth transition, but maybe now was the time for an injection of a different mindset.

He served as a Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives since 2002. Dr. Kittiampon served as Secretary General of the Office of National Economic and Social Development Board. He has been the Chairman of the Board at Thai Airways International Public Company Limited since May 2009. Dr. Kittiampon serves as a Director of PTT Aromatics, and Refining Public Company Limited. He has been an Independent Director of PTT Exploration ... and Production Public Company Limited since March 30, 2011. He serves as a Director of Bank of Thailand. Dr. Kittiampon has been an Independent Director at Thai Airways International Public Co. Ltd. since May 2009. Dr. Kittiampon served as an Independent Director of PTT Public Co. Ltd. from April 11, 2008 to March 29, 2011. He served as a Director of the National Bureau of Agriculture Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) from 2006 to March 2008. He has been a Member of the National Legislative Assembly, Thailand since 2004. Dr. Kittiampon holds BA from Kasetsart University, M.S in Economics from Northeastern University Boston, USA, PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA, The National Defence Course, The National Defence College (class 45) and Thai Institute of Directors Association.

[RickeyParkany]

**On the other hand, you guys missed an appointment that should have you shrieking like excited farangs at the fake clearance sales at Central.**

Powerful imagery..nyuk, nyuk, nyuk. ;-} rap.

[virtualtraveller]

Usually this happens in the PT if they need to silence something, or swallow up a little party. Ask yourself why Vatana Asavahame's party was merged into TRT.

[jayboy]

The concept is rather a sound one and was famously adopted by Abraham Lincoln.Read Doris Goodwin's 'Team of Rivals".

- not that I'm suggesting this book has ever been digested by anyone in the Thai political class - except Abhisit who is very well read - not that he shows much evidence of following in Lincoln's footsteps.

[Pimay1]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

[TackyToo]

A PTP appointee will of course follow the law and his conscience without any other consideration or influence.

he's been nicely roped in because if he rocks the boat he's out of a job, again.

A line of an old Bruce Cockburn song "They call it democracy" comes to mind: kill the best and buy the rest.

[tonneke breda]

This man was in April involved in a court case against my friend concerning the http://wfft.org and showed no respect for the court, by giving false information, not showing in court.

And then this loose canon will be in the government??

I say safe our asses and leave the sinking ship.

[Joop50]

Brilliant move

[robertson468]

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

My thoughts exactly.

[MILT]

This man was in April involved in a court case against my friend concerning the http://wfft.org and showed no respect for the court, by giving false information, not showing in court.

And then this loose canon will be in the government??

I say safe our asses and leave the sinking ship.

I personally hope he goes after all the crooked NGO's that use animals of all sorts to bring in a hefty income, with zero oversight.

[gemini81]

A PTP appointee will of course follow the law and his conscience without any other consideration or influence.

he's been nicely roped in because if he rocks the boat he's out of a job, again.

A line of an old Bruce Cockburn song "They call it democracy" comes to mind: kill the best and buy the rest.

What a nice surname.

[Traveling Sailor]

He needs to reshuffle that moustache.

BTW don't do yabba for a week.

CCC

Just be grateful there's someone in there to challenge a dictatorship.

This just proves that he too can be bought, if the price is right.

[fstarbkk]

This man was in April involved in a court case against my friend concerning the http://wfft.org and showed no respect for the court, by giving false information, not showing in court.

And then this loose canon will be in the government??

I say safe our asses and leave the sinking ship.

I personally hope he goes after all the crooked NGO's that use animals of all sorts to bring in a hefty income, with zero oversight.

Hope springs eternal! But during his tenure, legitimate wildlife rescue organizations were apparently raided, harrassed and the animals in their care carted off with no regard for their welfare, in what was widely seen as a personal vendetta. At the same time illegal wildlife traders were allowed to keep the animals in their posession, even after being exposed by his own organization.

I applauded his drastic actions against the encroachers on national park land. But I wonder how he could have been cruisng along almost unnoticed as a civil servant for decades, before emerging as the robin hood of nature preservation, just a few months before his retirement from the job. Where was he all those years before???

[GentlemanJim]

It makes the future concept of a one party state much easier if you start getting them on board early.

[MegaRanter]

In Africa they would put the enemy in the prime position, and surround him with cronies who will make sure the gear is engaged in reverse and nothing done with so much money gone. Then they probe you and sideline you for a long time with exposure.

If I were him I ll be the one hire or chose my subordinates, even the gate man.

[ginjag]

In Africa they would put the enemy in the prime position, and surround him with cronies who will make sure the gear is engaged in reverse and nothing done with so much money gone. Then they probe you and sideline you for a long time with exposure.

If I were him I ll be the one hire or chose my subordinates, even the gate man.

This is the man that says he will crackdown on any illegal resort encroachment in the National Parks.....What he didn't say was that he will go to the land office who gives permission for the resorts, and other big wigs involved, and drag them over the coals.

Seems to be good at somethings to give himself a good standing with the public, but trust any of them, I wouldn't trust 90 % of them .

[ChrisY1]

Personally...I think he's a fake.....a bit of noise, but nothing eventuates!

[expat888]

No one seems to care much about this topic.

But for me, it sounds like a lot of positioning for something much bigger, the big surprise is yet to come.

[khunken]

He's no PTP opponent. He was the organiser of one of the worst red shirt groups - the park rangers who were involved in the 2010 riots. Basically a closet red shirt leader.

[annabel]

You guys are criticizing the wrong person. He's not the type of person to back down, even if handed a plum job. What he may do is work with others to make positive change.

On the other hand, you guys missed an appointment that should have you shrieking like excited farangs at the fake clearance sales at Central.

Dr. Ampon Kittiampon is going to become Chairman of the Bank of Thailand. He's in the good graces of the Democrat party, as well as the PTP, but I wonder if he's the right guy for the job. He's chairman of a troubled airline and he's tied in to PTT, the folks that gave us the oil spill and did a disappearing act. He's as hiso and as connected as they come in Thailand. Appreciably he's been on the board at the bank for some time and it will allow for a smooth transition, but maybe now was the time for an injection of a different mindset.

He served as a Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives since 2002. Dr. Kittiampon served as Secretary General of the Office of National Economic and Social Development Board. He has been the Chairman of the Board at Thai Airways International Public Company Limited since May 2009. Dr. Kittiampon serves as a Director of PTT Aromatics, and Refining Public Company Limited. He has been an Independent Director of PTT Exploration ... and Production Public Company Limited since March 30, 2011. He serves as a Director of Bank of Thailand. Dr. Kittiampon has been an Independent Director at Thai Airways International Public Co. Ltd. since May 2009. Dr. Kittiampon served as an Independent Director of PTT Public Co. Ltd. from April 11, 2008 to March 29, 2011. He served as a Director of the National Bureau of Agriculture Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS) from 2006 to March 2008. He has been a Member of the National Legislative Assembly, Thailand since 2004. Dr. Kittiampon holds BA from Kasetsart University, M.S in Economics from Northeastern University Boston, USA, PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson University, South Carolina, USA, The National Defence Course, The National Defence College (class 45) and Thai Institute of Directors Association.

OMG!!! Where DO YOU COME FROM...???

[annabel]

This man was in April involved in a court case against my friend concerning the http://wfft.org and showed no respect for the court, by giving false information, not showing in court.

And then this loose canon will be in the government??

I say safe our asses and leave the sinking ship.

I personally hope he goes after all the crooked NGO's that use animals of all sorts to bring in a hefty income, with zero oversight.

Oh and here you go again you lovely human animal lover and defender ...who doesn't have a F....... Clue but thinks he knows it all ... Eeesshhh !