US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK5964

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 005964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, TH, TRT - Thai Rak Thai 
SUBJECT: GOVERNOR RESHUFFLE -- SOME REWARDS FOR TRT 
SUPPORTERS 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary:  Earlier this month, the Cabinet of Prime 
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra approved changes for 47 of 
Thailand,s 75 Governor positions, which is among the highest 
number of Governor posting  changes on record for a single 
year. The reshuffle is an annual event.  Though the Governors 
are in essence bureaucrats, political considerations, not 
surprisingly, appear to play an important role in 
appointments and transfers to these powerful positions.  End 
Summary. 
 
SYSTEM ALLOWS WITHIN-TERM CHANGES 
 
2.  (SBU) Thailand's 75 Governors are appointed to their 
positions by the Minister of the Interior.  A Governor's term 
is nominally 4 years for all but the three southern-most 
provinces, where terms are limited to just one year. 
Governors can, and often are, replaced before their full term 
is up - this is especially true in provinces of economic 
significance such as Chiang Mai and Phuket.  The Ministry of 
the Interior normally recommends changes once a year, and 
will normally reshuffle about 20-25 Governors during each 
reshuffle.  The 47 appointments and transfers announced this 
latest round represent a significant increase.  The changes 
have to be approved by the Prime Minister's Cabinet before 
they become effective. 
 
CHIEF FEDERAL POWER FAR FROM BANGKOK 
 
3.  (SBU)  The Governorship is a powerful position.  The 
Governor has been invested with more extensive powers under 
the "CEO Governors" initiative.  Under this policy, governors 
set budget levels for their provinces and oversee their 
implementation.  Governors are also empowered to determine 
the direction and priorities of provincial development 
programs and to transfer officers of any ministry working in 
their provinces at Director rank or below (except for police 
and military personnel).  The government wants governors who 
oversee implement its programs to be willing supporters of 
TRT policies -- this means that those considered "reliable" 
are being switched to higher profile provinces while those 
with suspect loyalties may be shunted to less visible posts. 
 
OFFICIAL QUALIFICATIONS 
 
4.    (SBU)  It's not all political connections however.  All 
candidates for Governor need to meet certain public service 
requirements before they can be nominated as a Governor.  The 
main requirement under the Civil Service Commission's 
regulation is to hold the civil service rank of C-10 (the 
highest rank possible is C-11).  For educational requirements 
governor candidates must hold at minimum a Bachelors degree. 
Officials rising through the Ministry of the Interior must 
complete the district chief course and an administration 
course for senior level officials.  A candidate for Governor 
must also have work experience as a district chief and a 
deputy governor, and must have completed all the courses 
required for these two positions. 
 
POLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS 
 
5.    (SBU)  Most appointees are also graduates of Thailand's 
two most prestigious universities, Chulalonghorn University 
and Thammasat University.  These schools have long been 
producers of Thailand's political and administrative elite. 
Chulalonghorn,s graduates, known as the "Singha Dam," and 
Thammasat,s graduates, known as the "Singha Daeng," have 
long been rivals for dominance within the Ministry of the 
Interior.  The MOI is currently dominated by the Singha 
Daeng, whose members include Deputy Minister of the Interior 
Sermsak Phongphanit, and Interior Permanent Secretary 
Sucharit Patchimmanan.  Embassy sources tell us that many of 
the governors promoted to their new position are believed to 
be members of the Singha Daeng. 
 
6.  (SBU)  Some of the transfers appeared to be rewards for 
TRT supporters -- Anuwat Methiwiboonwut, for example, 
was transferred from Phang-na to the larger province of Samut 
Songkhram. Another TRT supporter, Anand Phromnart, was 
reassigned from Krabi province to the larger Chachoengsao 
province.  Both had been in their previous posts for about a 
year before being moved up.  Other transfers could have been 
demotions for suspect loyalties.  For example, Kamon 
Jitrawang, former governor of Ang-Thong, was moved to a 
position of much lower prestige because of his close 
relationship with an opposition party leader, Mr. Banharn 
Silpa-Archa of the Chart Thai party.  In another case, former 
Governor of Nakhon Ratchasima, Phongphayom Wasphuti, is 
believed by some observers here to have been transferred to 
an inactive post because he directed critical comments in the 
past at TRT government. 
 
7.  (SBU)  Comment.  The unusual twist to this year's 
reshuffle of Governors is the rate of turnover.  While 
Thaksin supporters will claim that there is nothing abnormal 
in promoting career public servants who are motivated to 
implement government policies, Thaksin opponents will chide 
this year's reshuffle as further evidence of Thaksin's drive 
to dominate the governmental landscape.  End Comment. 
ARVIZU