The military chairman and two military members of the board of the SRT Electrified Train Co (SRTET), which runs the Airport Rail Link, have been sacked and replaced.
The dismissals follow an embarrassing blunder by the company last month when hundreds of passengers were trapped inside rail link carriages in stuffy conditions for an hour due to electrical problems that suddenly halted the train.
It is not certain whether the firings and train failure are related, though a source at the Transport Ministry believes they are.
Gen Thawatchai Samutsakorn, the board chairman; Gen Daran Yutthawongsuk, board member and acting director-general; and AM Somphong Sariyan, board member, were replaced Monday by a new team at the board's behest.
The source, who wished not to be named, said Gen Thawatchai and the others fired were blamed for the March 21 train breakdown between Makkasan and Ramkhamhaeng stations in which some passengers passed out due to the stifling conditions in the train after the air conditioning system failed. The government criticised the breakdown at the time and insisted someone must be held to account.
He said they were also sacked partly over problems surrounding the SRTET's delay in purchasing seven new trains at a cost of 4.4 billion baht.
The plan was eventually scrapped after other board members complained it was too expensive.
However, conflicts between the three and the Transport Ministry and the SRTET's major shareholders are also said to be a motive for their dismissals.
Wichai Pornkeeratiwat, former president of PTT Green Energy (Thailand) Co, now leads the board as chairman, while Jaran Wiwatjesadawuth, Khanit Sawangwaroros, and Saowanee Thairungroj, rector of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, have been appointed board members.
Two members of the previous board, Pongsak Somjai and Wisuth Janmanee, will continue to serve.
The replacements were approved at a meeting on Monday of SRTET shareholders, said Deputy Transport Minister Omsin Cheevapruek.
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said the board change will not affect the SRTET's projects, while a plan to purchase new trains is still waiting on a new feasibility study.
Mr Omsin said the change was approved by the State Enterprise Policy Office as a means of improving the efficiency of the SRTET by including more people from outside the state railway workforce.
Gen Thawatchai said he and the other two SRTET board members had submitted their resignation letters after the SRTET's shareholders resolved to remove them from their positions on the board.
It was crucial to replace the trio with outside professionals who are better positioned to help resolve the SRTET's problems, said the ministry source.
Gen Daran said he was more concerned about how the new board will decide on the SRTET's new train procurement plan.
The agency's problems can be resolved if its management and that of the SRT are independent from one another, he said.
Gen Thawatchai was made the board chairman on Sept 3, 2014, while Gen Daran was named a board member on Aug 13 last year.
Gen Daran became acting director-general on Sept 18 last year. AM Somphong was appointed a board member on Aug 13 last year.
Gen Daran said last year that the money-losing SRTET's expenditure stood at about 800 million baht.
Its revenue amounted to about 600 million baht yearly, but the figure was rising by 10% annually.