The outspoken director of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), who had a record of criticising the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) for its financial support, has been shown the door it emerged yesterday.
Pawit Mahasarinand, the director of the BACC, told media that the centre's new board terminated his employment, effective from next Tuesday, over a remark about the city's lack of financial support for the centre.
In a letter to the media yesterday, Asst Prof Pawit said the board that took office on May 31 decided on Aug 31 to fire him, and that he would be required to continue working as director until next Monday. He said he was told that an evaluation committee was dissatisfied with his past remark to journalists on financial support from the BMA.
The BACC, the capital's first public arts centre, has seen a sharp rise in popularity. Visitors rose to 1.7 million last year, up from just 300,000 when it opened its doors in 2008. Last year, it hosted more than 100 events. However, it has been running on a tight budget over the past few years and needed to cut operating hours after the BMA deferred disbursing its budget, citing a poor performance on the part of the foundation appointed to run the centre. The BMA has withheld its annual subsidy of 40 million baht for two straight years.
Asst Prof Pawit said he rejected the board's offer to allow him to resign to maintain his image. "I will not sue, but I will not resign because this is my dream job. If the board wants to fire me, let it go into the record," Asst Prof Pawit told the Bangkok Post, adding that he demanded that the board disclose the evaluation report on his performance.
He resigned from the Faculty of Arts at Chulalongkorn University on March 1 last year after more than 25 years in service, to take up the position at the country's biggest arts centre.
At the time, Asst Prof Pawit said he was told that his probation would last one year and that afterwards his contract could be extended for a further three years.