National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) secretary-general Takorn Tantasith submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday, reveals a source at the agency, amid rumours he may be a candidate for either an NBTC board post or the digital economy and society (DES) minister.
The letter was submitted only two days after the NBTC's momentous 5G spectrum auction.
Mr Takorn submitted the letter to NBTC chairman Gen Sukit Khamasundara, though his term is scheduled to end in September, the source said.
In the letter, the source said Mr Takorn indicated he has worked as the NBTC secretary-general for seven years and undertaken most efforts to shape regulations governing both broadcast and telecom industries, up until the completion of the 5G spectrum auction.
Mr Takorn believes this brings a close to his working term.
Mr Takorn declined to comment about the issue when asked by the Bangkok Post.
He said this is not a matter for the public or the country's benefit.
Another source at the NBTC who requested anonymity said Mr Takorn has had enough of the frequent conflicts on the NBTC board.
The regulator's board currently has six members.
One of the members, Prawit Leesathaporn, took sick leave for three months, reducing the number of active members to five.
Several recent votes by the board ended up with 3:2 votes.
Another source at the agency who requested anonymity said Mr Takorn is preparing to become a candidate for an NBTC board member seat.
The government is about to start the recruitment process for NBTC commissioners.
Takorn Tantasith (Second from right)
Mr Takorn may also have resigned to leave the door open to be picked as a candidate for DES minister, the source said.
The NBTC chairman has the power to turn down Mr Takorn's resignation, which would create another layer of intrigue in the proceedings.
