A committee to nominate the Bank of Thailand’s new chief will consider the qualifications of the four applicants on June 25, who will then be required to present their visions on June 29, says a source at the Finance Ministry who requested anonymity.
The shortlist of candidates must be finalised by July 2, but the schedule can be postponed if the qualifications of all the applicants do not meet the requirements, the source said. The nomination process, however, must be completed before the five-year tenure of outgoing governor Veerathai Santiprabhob expires at the end of September.
Local media has reported central bank deputy governors Mathee Supapongse and Ronadol Numnonda applied for the top job, while a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Setthaput Suthiwart-Narueput, is another applicant. The fourth applicant is an unnamed woman.
Mr Mathee was appointed deputy governor overseeing monetary stability in 2015, while Mr Ronadol has been deputy governor in charge of financial institutions stability since 2018.
In terms of education, Mr Ronadol graduated with a bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics from St Olaf College in the US and earned a master’s degree in finance, investment and banking from the University of Wisconsin.
Mr Mathee obtained a bachelor’s degree in monetary economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, and a master’s degree in development economics at Williams College in the US.
Mr Setthaput earned a PhD in economics from Yale University in the US.
Mr Veerathai recently announced he would not apply for a second term.
The source said at the upcoming meeting the committee will screen qualifications as stated in applications and assign a secretary in the committee to check their qualifications with the related agencies and companies.
If it is determined later the new governor’s qualifications fail to meet the criteria, the selected candidate must step down.
According to the timeline, the selection committee chaired by former permanent secretary for finance Rangsan Sriworasart must name two shortlisted candidates and propose them to Finance Minister Uttama Savanayana, who will pick the next governor and forward his selection to the cabinet for nomination before seeking royal approval.