"Piyasvasti" sacked by THAI board

BANGKOK, May 21 (TNA) - The Thai Airways International (THAI) board has sacked the national flag carrier's incumbent president Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand, taking effect in a month, citing communication problems with him. Chairman of the THAI board Ampon Kittiampon announced at a press conference Monday that the board cast 12 out of 13 votes to dismiss Piyasvasti as the president of the national airline but Dr. Piyasvasti will receive a severance pay equivalent to his six-month salary. Ampon acknowledged although Piyasvasti passed an evaluation test scoring 4.3 points for his work to serve THAI’s strategies, the board has found communication problems with him, which obstruct the compamy's important policies including marketing and personnel development, saying that the THAI board has already informed Piyasvasti of the dismissal. Ampon denied any political order behind the decision, as up to seven members of the national airline’s board had been appointed by the previous Democrat Party-led government. The board then appointed Chokechai Panyayong , THAI's incumbent Executive Vice President for Strategy and Business Developmente, as the acting THAI president and formed a committee, comprising Permanent Secretary for Finance Areepong Poocha-oom and Acting Permanent Secretary for Transport Silpachai Jarukasemratana, to select the new THAI president. The dismissal, however, appeared to have upset the THAI Labour Union, as Ampon’s press conference was guarded by police and experienced a blackout. After the press conference, members of the THAI Labour Union loudly asked Ampon for the reasons for the dismissal and he replied briefly that Piyasvasti could not work with the board. (TNA)