Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will meet with military top brass at the end of this month to discuss the upcoming annual reshuffle, which will see new chiefs of the navy and air force appointed, according to a Defence Ministry source.
The meeting, the source said, was to be attended by the commanders of the three branches of the military and the deputy defence minister, but may have to be postponed, or chaired instead by Deputy Defence Minister Chaichan Changmongkol, if the Constitutional Court decides to suspend Gen Prayut pending a ruling on his term limit.
The upcoming reshuffle will see a changing of the guard in the navy and the air force as the current chiefs, Adm Somprasong Nilsamai and ACM Napadej Dhuphtemiya, will retire at the end of September.
Within naval ranks, Adm Somprasong is reported to have vouched for assistant navy chief Choengchai Chomchoengphaet to take over as chief, however his choice of replacement is said to have sparked criticism among other senior navy figures.
Deputy navy commander Adm Thirakul Kanchana, who is more senior and deemed next in line for the top post, is meanwhile expected to be named deputy chief of the defence forces, the source said.
Gen Prayut reportedly advised Adm Somprasong to iron out the differences expressed by his colleagues during a dinner with the leaders of the armed forces last Friday.
Adm Thirakul was also a potential candidate for the navy's top post in last year's reshuffle but lost out to Adm Somprasong who was at that time deputy defence permanent secretary.
As for the air force, ACM Kongsak Chantharasopha, chief of the Air Operation Control Command, is seen as the favourite to succeed ACM Napadej, but deputy air force chief ACM Thanasak Metanan has also emerged as a potential contender.
ACM Thanasak, who is playing a key role in the air force's bid to buy F-35 fighter jets, will reach mandatory retirement in two years but is deemed a good fit for the post right now.
Defence forces chief Gen Chalermpol Srisawasdi is highly likely to serve until his mandatory retirement next year. He is the first "red-rim" officer to take command of the defence forces. "Red-rim" soldiers are those specially trained to serve as Royal Guards and wear a T-shirt with a red rim to show they passed the elite training.
It is speculated that Gen Songwit Nunphakdi, head of the general staff to the Office of the Commanding General, will be transferred from the army to serve as his deputy before succeeding him next year.
Meanwhile, the current army commander Narongpan Jitkaewtae has one more year in office before his mandatory retirement next year, but the new line-up will offer a glimpse into his possible successor, said the source.
The spotlight is on two contenders who may succeed him next year.
The first is assistant army chief Gen Charoenchai Hintao who is reportedly to be promoted to the role of deputy commander in the current reshuffle, making him eligible to become the army chief next time.
The other is Lt Gen Suksan Nongbualang, commander of the 1st Army Region, who is expected to be promoted to a key post in this year's reshuffle and become a contender for the army's top job.
At the Defence Ministry, deputy permanent secretary Gen Sanitchanok Sangkhachan is tipped to succeed Gen Worakiat Ratananont who will retire at the end of next month. Gen Sanitchanok, who is known to have good relations with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon and Gen Prayut, will retire in 2025.
