The cabinet shunted Abhiset-era finance permanent secretary Areepong Bhoocha-oom to a lesser job and appointed the Nakhon Nayok governor the new permanent secretary for information and communication technology at its meeting on Tuesday.
Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said the cabinet approved the transfer of Mr Areepong to the position of secretary general of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission.
Rangsan Sriworasart, a deputy finance permanent secretary, will be the caretaker permanent secretary until a replacement is announced.
Mr Areepong has been permanent secretary of finance since Oct 1, 2010. He was appointed by the government of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democrat Party.
Surachai Srisarakham (File Photo)
The cabinet has also endorsed the appointment of Nakhon Nayok governor Surachai Srisarakham as the new permanent secretary for the ICT Ministry.
Mr Surachai was a prime mover in the launch of 13-digit identification cards and the main driving force in the Smart Card project. In 1990, he accepted the Computerworld Smithsonian award in the category of Government and Nonprofit Organisations in the United States.
In addition, the cabinet approved the appointments of Preecha Kanthiya as culture permanent secretary and Jirasak Sukhonthachart as labour permanent secretary.
In the Senate on Tuesday, ICT minister Surapong Suebwonglee and former ICT permanent secretary Kraisorn Pornsuthi survived an impeachment vote.
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) had sought retroactive impeachment of the two men for alleged malfeasance in connection with the amendment of a concession to allow Shin Corp to reduce its minimum shareholding in its satellite affiliate Shin Satellite, now renamed Thaicom, from 51% to 40% in 2008.
Both were found to have violated Section 157 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits officials from actions which cause damage to the state. They were liable for removal from their posts.
The Senate accepted the impeachment motion and, following a hearing, called a vote on it.
For Mr Surapong, the meeting voted 71 for his impeachment and 59 against.
For Mr Kraisorn, the Senate voted 66 for and 66 against the motion, with one abstention.
In both cases, the vote for the impeachment was below the required 90, or three-fifths of the serving senators, so Mr Surapong and Mr Krasorn survived the impeachment.