An Upper House committee has shortlisted two prospective candidates for board member posts at the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which would increase the number of commissioners to seven in line with its maximum quota.
The two are Apirat Siritaratiwat, an engineering lecturer from Khon Kaen University as a candidate in the telecom field, and Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, former special adviser of the Royal Thai Police, in the field of law.
The shortlist created by the Secretariat of the Senate's selection committee is scheduled to be forwarded to the Upper House for voting.
The move is in line with the amended NBTC Act, which obliges the selection committee to nominate seven people for the NBTC board. At present, five commissioners are in office.
On Dec 20 last year, the Senate voted in favour of five of the seven prospective candidates put forth by the selection committee to become new NBTC board members.
With five members approved, the new board can start operating in line with the amended NBTC Act, ending months of a decision-making vacuum at the regulator.
A source at the Secretariat of the Senate who requested anonymity said the next step is to wait for the reopening of an ordinary parliamentary session in May, when the Senate will have to set up a panel to scrutinise the two proposed candidates' qualifications.
If they pass this vetting, the two candidates will be voted on by the Senate. If they are approved, they will be royally endorsed, with the process expected to conclude by July, the source said.
An executive at the NBTC who requested anonymity said the five sitting commissioners discussed the vacant position of NBTC secretary-general.
The seat has been vacant since Takorn Tantasith ended his term in September 2020. Deputy secretary-general Trairat Viriyasirikul was named acting chief until the new board appoints the new head.
The NBTC source said the vacant post has hurt NBTC management as it lacks a clear vision and strategy to move ahead.
"It is most likely the existing board will wait for the full seven members before recruiting a new secretary-general," the source said.
According to the source, former commissioner Col Natee Sukonrat has expressed strong interest in the seat and has confidence he will be chosen for the post.
Col Natee has close ties with Torpong Selanon, an incumbent commissioner in the field of people's liberty and rights. Both worked together as commissioners at the National Telecommunications Commission, the former telecom regulatory body before the NBTC was established.
