A military reshuffle list is being wrapped up while waiting for new Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and his deputy, Gen Natthapol Nakpanich, to tie up any loose ends, according to a military source.
The proposed list containing the appointments of new leaders of the armed forces and other high-ranking positions was discussed at a meeting on Tuesday attended mainly by six top commanders and officials of the ministry and incumbent leaders of the armed forces.
Chaired by outgoing defence minister Sutin Klungsang the meeting lasted for about three hours until 5pm, said the source.
For the post of army commander-in-chief, the choices boiled down to Gen Tharaphong Malakham, an assistant army chief, and Gen Phana Khlaeoplotthuk, the army chief-of-staff, according to the source.
At the end of the discussion, army commander Gen Charoenchai Hintao affirmed his nomination of Gen Phana, said the source.
At the same time, Gen Charoenchai had also nominated Lt Gen Amarit Bunsuya, commander of the 1st Army Corps, as the new 1st Army Region commander, said the source.
Lt Gen Amarit, who worked for many years at the 21st Infantry Brigade Queen's Guard before he rose through the ranks and became the 1st Army Corps commander, is known to be a protégé of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the former prime minister who is now a member of the privy council.
According to the source, Gen Charoenchai found himself under a lot of pressure deciding who should be nominated as his replacement because he had to deal with different expectations from various parties, both inside and outside the army.
Navy chief Adm Adung Phan-iam at Wednesday's meeting confirmed his decision to nominate Adm Chiraphon Wongwit, a special advisor to the Royal Thai Navy, as his successor despite strong objections from several senior officials.
The main reason cited had to do with his foreign education, having graduated from a naval school in Germany. No navy commanders in Thailand have previously held a bachelor's degree from a foreign institution.
Adm Adung, however, has chosen to overlook this tradition and left the shake-up issue to be decided by newly appointed Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
The military rejig will need to be finalised before the Sept 15 deadline. The new commanders will start work on Oct 1 marking the onset of the new fiscal year.