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THAI chairman abruptly resigns
November 8th 2019
Four directors have quit since May. Read More »
Thai Airways International (THAI) chairman, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, resigned last Friday with immediate effect, an evening stock exchange notice announced. No explanation was given. Vice chairman, Air Chief Marshal Chaiyapruk Didyasarin, will “perform the duty of the chairman”, according to the notice. Local media said his acting chairmanship did not have a fixed timeframe. He only became vice chairman on October 16.
Ekniti was one of four “Somkid Connection” leaders appointed to Ministry of Transport enterprises under former deputy prime minister, Somkid Jatusripitak. The new Thai government has been attempting to clear out ministers and cabinet members attached to the former government leadership following a general election last March.
Ekniti and his counterpart at the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), another Somkid Connection, submitted their resignations in June, the Bangkok Post said. The newspaper later reported the prime minister’s office had intervened to stop the forced changes.
The entire SRT board, including the chairman, resigned on September 30 with effect the following day. Ekniti is the second Somkid Connection to resign. The remaining two Somkid Connections lead the Expressway Authority of Thailand and Airports of Thailand. They have not resigned.
Six directors have departed the THAI board since last year, four of them since May. One resignation was the result of a political appointment, another for a business engagement and two for unspecified reasons.
