Thailand has started the search for a new central bank governor, Bloomberg reported, setting in motion a months-long process to find a successor to Bank of Thailand (BOT) chief Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, whose term ends in September.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has appointed a seven-member selection committee chaired by former senior finance ministry official Sathit Limpongpan.
Ministry spokesman Pornchai Thiraveja will serve as the panel’s secretary, alongside other retired bureaucrats.
Sathit had previously chaired the committee that nominated Somchai Sujjapongse as the BOT board chairman.
The selection process is drawing close investor scrutiny, amid speculation that Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government may seek a candidate more aligned with its policy agenda.
Sethaput, who was appointed by a military-backed administration, had defended the central bank’s independence, resisting pressure to lower interest rates and at times publicly differing with the government on economic policies.
Relations between the BOT and the government have, however, improved in recent months.
The panel is expected to convene soon. It will solicit applications, conduct interviews, and submit a shortlist of at least two candidates to the Finance Minister no later than 90 days before Sethaput’s term expires.
Although applications have yet to officially open, local media have identified potential candidates including BOT Deputy Governor Roong Mallikamas, former International Monetary Fund economist Sutapa Amornvivat, and Santitarn Sathirathai, an independent member of the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee.
Featured image credit: Edited from Wikimedia Commons
