All nine applicants for the secretary-general post at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) are qualified, according to a subcommittee tasked with vetting the candidates.
The NBTC panel dealing with the recruitment process is expected to ask the candidates to provide their visions for the commission in interviews to be held next week.
The candidates include Pakorn Apaphant, executive director and member of executive board of Geo-Informatics and Space Tech Development Agency; Trairat Viriyasirikul, deputy secretary-general of the NBTC; Kittisak Sriprasert, former president of CAT Telecom; and Col Thanatmet Phatnarongrat, a member of NBTC's Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Committee.
The other five are academic Pisit Boonsrimuang; Dr Polawat Witoolkollachit, former board chairman of KTB Computer Services; Surangkana Wayuparb, former chief executive of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency; Sutisak Tantayotin, NBTC deputy secretary-general; and Peerakan Kaewwongwattana, chief executive of Airport Rail Link.
NBTC chairman Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck previously told the Bangkok Post the list of finalists is expected to be released by July 15.
Although four of the NBTC's seven commissioners have strongly expressed their opposition to the selection process since it began, Dr Sarana still plans to propose a list of finalists to the board, who will cast their votes to select the new secretary-general.
He insisted the ongoing selection process for the job cannot be scrapped without a good reason, or the regulator could face legal action from the applicants.
The selection process was announced under the chairman's authority and accountability.
Dr Sarana said earlier four of the seven commissioners might opt to abstain from voting to select a secretary-general.
They might instead request the board vote on whether they think the selection process is legal, he said.
"The selection process has to go ahead as it has begun and we received applications from nine candidates," said Dr Sarana earlier.
"If the process were scrapped for a reason that is unclear, it could risk a legal challenge."
He said he has not finalised how the candidates would be presented to the board for the voting process.
The NBTC might nominate the most suitable candidates one-by-one for the board members to cast their votes, said Dr Sarana.
If an applicant receives fewer than four votes from the commissioners, the names of other applicants in descending order would be presented until the board identifies a candidate who has won a majority, he said.
Another option is to put forward all the names of the qualified candidates for a vote, with the candidate receiving the most votes winning the job, said Dr Sarana.
The chairman said earlier he planned to hand-pick the secretary-general and propose the name for the board's approval.
Some commissioners doubted that this method complies with the NBTC's laws and regulations.
Dr Sarana has insisted his selection method for identifying the new secretary-general complies with his authority. He cited Section 61 of the NBTC Act, which stipulates that the chairperson, with the consent of the NBTC board, shall appoint the secretary-general.
