Six of the seven candidates to be the next Bank of Thailand governor have passed the qualification round and are scheduled to present their vision for the institution on June 24.
One candidate was disqualified for failing to meet the requirement of having run an organisation valued at a minimum of 15 billion baht, said Pornchai Thiraveja, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office and secretary of the committee tasked with selecting the governor.
The successful candidate will succeed Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, who has reached retirement age and whose five-year term ends on Sept 30.
Mr Pornchai said each of the qualified candidates will be given 30 minutes to present their vision of how they will manage the central bank as governor.
After the presentations, the selection committee must propose the names of two or three suitable candidates to the finance minister by July 2, after which the cabinet is expected to approve the appointment of a governor.
A Ministry of Finance source who requested anonymity said the six qualified candidates invited to present their vision are:
- Vitai Ratanakorn, president of Government Savings Bank;
- Sutapa Amornvivat, former chief executive of Abacus Digital;
- Somprawin Manprasert, former chief economist at SCB EIC, the research arm of Siam Commercial Bank;
- Kobsak Pootrakool, senior executive vice-president of Bangkok Bank;
- Roong Mallikamas, deputy governor for financial institutions stability at the central bank;
- Anusorn Thamjai, dean of the economics faculty at University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
The candidate who failed the qualification round is Wikran Supamongkol, chairman of Two Capital.
The selection of a new governor is being closely watched, given the significant economic challenges facing Thailand and the importance of central bank leadership in shaping monetary policy and financial stability.
Earlier Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said the new chief should be “forward-looking with modern ideas” and should “support government policies”.
Mr Sethaput has had a taxing relationship with the existing Pheu Thai government, fending off heavy pressure to cut interest rates to get the Thai economy moving. He has maintained that what the country needs is fundamental structural reform as quick fixes no longer work.