The chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has been pressured by some commissioners into starting the process of recruiting a new secretary-general, according to a board member.
The secretary-general position has been vacant since Takorn Tantasith ended his term in September 2020. No timeline has been set for the recruitment process.
A commissioner who requested anonymity said some commissioners had urged the chairman, Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, to start the recruitment process, but had not received a reply.
The commissioners plan to ask for the hiring process again at the next meeting, the source said.
"This is a vacuum of more than two years for the top management position," the source said.
NBTC deputy secretary-general Trairat Viriyasirikul was appointed by the former board members to serve as the acting secretary-general until the NBTC board hired a permanent replacement.
The full NBTC board has seven members.
The first five new commissioners began their terms in April last year. The sixth commissioner, Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, came to office in October.
In December, the Senate's selection committee nominated Sompop Purivigraipong, vice-president of Mahanakorn University of Technology, as the seventh commissioner in charge of the telecom field.
His name needs to be proposed to the Senate for voting, which is expected to take place soon.
The source said the first five new commissioners who came to office last year may have wanted more time to learn their new responsibilities, rather than focusing on the recruitment of the new secretary-general.
But now it was time for the NBTC to seriously start the process as the vacuum has existed for a long time, the source noted.
The secretary-general position requires someone who is humble but has strong management skills and solid connections to implement policies and make decisions for the benefit of the public and the country, the source said.
The secretary-general should receive good support from staff and the management team, the source said.
According to the source, several people are interested in applying for the position, including Col Natee Sukonrat, former vice-chairman of the NBTC; Korkij Danchaivichit, former deputy secretary-general of the NBTC; Nirut Maneephan, governor of the State Railway of Thailand; and Mr Trairat.
The source said Col Natee had expressed strong interest in the seat and was confident he would be chosen for the post.
Col Natee has close ties to Torpong Selanon, an incumbent commissioner, the source said.
"Although the recruitment process for the seat must be decided by the NBTC board, the name to be approved usually has to be selected by the top government management," the source said.
