Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has confirmed that he has approached banker Predee Daochai to join a new cabinet lineup.
The prime minister acknowledged the move for the first time on Friday and said he was waiting for a reply from Mr Predee.
Mr Predee is a co-president of Kasikornbank and chairman of the Thai Bankers' Association. His name surfaced as a potential candidate for finance minister following the resignations of Uttama Savanayana and four other cabinet members, including Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak.
The prime minister said he needs the "right person" to steer the economy still in serious trouble because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Most forecasters expect Thailand, with its heavy dependence on foreign tourism, to post the worst economic contraction in Southeast Asia this year, possibly in the range of 8%.
Gen Prayut denied reports that National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) secretary-general Thosaporn Sirisumphand had been asked to join the new economic team, adding that no civil servants would be approached to leave the bureaucracy to join the lineup.
"I am still working as the NESDC secretary-general with a mission to oversee and screen projects under the 400-billion-baht borrowing scheme," Mr Thosaporn said in a post on the NESDC Facebook page.
"However, I am happy to help and support the prime minister on any given assignments after my retirement," added Mr Thosaporn, who will retire at the end of September.
Meanwhile, former central bank governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul has declined an invitation to join the revamped cabinet, said Gen Prayut.
He told reporters that Mr Prasarn had family commitments that prevented him accepting the offer.
Gen Prayut said that a new cabinet line-up will be finalised "no later than next month".
The cabinet shake-up will not be a major one, Gen Prayut told reporters.
The prime minister said that as several coalition parties share control of the economic ministries, he will be the head of the government's economic team himself, and admitted that as the economic situation is challenging right now, the new economic team will have a lot to contend with.
Asked whether Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon would swap cabinet seats with Interior Minister Anupong Paojinda, Gen Prayut said that Gen Prawit will still retain his post as deputy prime minister.
Asked if he will continue to concurrently serve as defence minister, Gen Prayut replied: "Why not? It will remain the same."
News of changes to the make-up of the cabinet line up came after Mr Uttama and three others handed in their resignation letters with immediate effect on Thursday.
The three others were Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, Higher Education, Science and Innovations Minister Suvit Maesincee, and Kobsak Pootrakul, deputy secretary-general of the prime minister.
They were members of the economic team led by Mr Somkid, who resigned on Wednesday.
Their resignations came after they had relinquished their membership in the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) last week following a party leadership change late last month when Mr Uttama was replaced by Gen Prawit as the PPRP leader.
Gen Prawit said yesterday that the three cabinet seats left vacant after the resignations of the three ministers are part of the prime minister's quota.
The prime minister will decide who will fill the posts, Gen Prawit said, adding that the appointment of economic ministers is also the prerogative of the prime minister and has nothing to do with the PPRP.
Regarding cabinet seats under the PPRP's quota, Gen Prawit would only say that it will become clear after a meeting of the party's executive board on Tuesday.
Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday admitted that the resignations of the three ministers will affect the work of the government at least for now.
In light of this, Mr Wissanu said that at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the prime minister will decide who will serve as acting ministers for the Energy Ministry and the Higher Education, Science and Innovations Ministry after the resignations of Mr Sontirat and Mr Suvit. There are no deputy ministers at the two ministries, Mr Wissanu said.
However, there will be no problem at the Finance Ministry because the deputy finance minister will be in charge as acting minister, Mr Wissanu said.
Addressing the imminent cabinet shake-up, Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit, who is the Democrat Party's leader, said yesterday that the prime minister has not discussed the matter with him yet.
"The party will not do anything until there is a signal from the prime minister," Mr Jurin said.
Asked by reporters if the Democrat Party will remain in the coalition if its quota of cabinet seats changes in the shake-up, Mr Surin insisted that the party's conditions for joining the coalition will remain unchanged.
Digital Economy and Society Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta, who is the PPRP's deputy leader, said that the party's executive committee will discuss who will be nominated for cabinet seats under the party's quota at a meeting on Tuesday
Asked by reporters if a quota of cabinet seats for Bangkok-based ministers, including himself, will be reduced, Mr Buddhipongse said: "I believe there will be no back-stabbing. We respect each other."