Former Thai PBS director sues its board for unfair employment termination



BANGKOK: -- Former Thai PBS director Somchai Suwanban and his former executives today filed a damage suit against the station's board of governors in the Administrative Court for what he called was unfair termination of his employment contract on October 9.

The former Thai PBS chief was escorted by his former deputy Mongkol Leelatham and lawyer.

Joining the court case against the board as coplaintiffs included former executives Supoj Jingjit, Phuthisat Namdej, Mrs Somtawil Janyawong and Ms Vipha Luangmanee.

Mr Somchai said he decided to pursue legal case against the board because the termination of his contract was unfair and did not follow normal legal procedures.

He said the action showed the board had no principle of good governance which will eventually tarnish the reputation of the organisation as a whole.

He believed that after the case enters the justice system, things will improve.

He also said he brought the case to the court not because he wanted reinstatement, but damages from the work termination had tainted his reputation.

He has been in the media occupation for over 40 years and was well-known in various countries, and the termination would have repercussion on his reputation.

He said he did not demand provisional protection from the court as he considered thus would even harm the organisation’s name.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/former-thai-pbs-director-sues-its-board-for-unfair-employment-termination

-- Thai PBS 2015-10-27

Seems fair to terminate him, he did not follow procedure. Four times did he approve of projects of 50 million bath even though he was not allowed too and had to ask the boards permission. I can only think of the brown envelopes he got by having no extra oversight on his decisions.

Just another Hi-so crook working under the veil of professionalism..........

Have to wonder about the corporate controls when if the limit is 50mn, this type of spending just slipped through. What we're the financial guys doing?

In the profession for 40 years and he is wasting the judical sytems time. He has not apperently learned when to fold or when to hold the hand, especially as he seems to have been dealing the cards from some where other than the top of the deck.

His age is at or near retirement, go fishing, golfing, gambling, etc anything but waste funds on a lawyer and time in a court room.

Seems fair to terminate him, he did not follow procedure. Four times did he approve of projects of 50 million bath even though he was not allowed too and had to ask the boards permission. I can only think of the brown envelopes he got by having no extra oversight on his decisions.

Ah, but his reputation is tarnished!

Seems fair to terminate him, he did not follow procedure. Four times did he approve of projects of 50 million bath even though he was not allowed too and had to ask the boards permission. I can only think of the brown envelopes he got by having no extra oversight on his decisions.

Seems fair to terminate him

Not only terminated but without any compensation or advance notification.

You apparently have read their employment contracts. Can you post them so we may all read them and reach the same legal conclusions that you did?

For example:

The Board claimed Simchai failed the Board's performance assessment. But Somchai pointed out that TV rating could not be used to assess his performance because this was not mentioned in the terms of the contract and also previous rating assessment could not be applied now because the ratings of most TV stations have dropped following the launch of digital TVs.

The Board faulted Somchai for not getting Board approval for certain projects but was unable to hold hearings with him on the matter because it failed to get a quorum. to that end I suspect even his dismissal was without a Board majority.