Led by MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, the new economic minister council contains 11 people. Some of them - Sansern Wongcha-um, Krirk-krai Jirapaet and Piyasvasti Amranand - are former government officials who experienced the perils of political intervention during the Thaksin era. But aside from Pridiyathorn and Kosit Panpiemras, others are little known in business circles.

But light is about to be shed on some of these interim ministers and what they are likely to do during their one-year terms. Read on.

Pridiyathorn Devakula

Do not let interim Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pridiyathorn's personal enthusiasm fool you, or the fact that sometimes he rides a motorcycle to work. Pridiyathorn plays a calculated game with twist. He is sometimes seen as cunning and not interested in earning respect.

But for those who have worked under him - at the Bank of Thailand (BOT) or the Export-Import Bank of Thailand - he has won nothing but praise. "He is exceptional," said one senior BOT official.

Pridiyathorn has always been considered a trouble-shooter. He helped former Finance Minister Tarrin Nimmanahaeminda after the 1997 crisis as a go-between with the central bank. And like it or not to ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Pridiyathorn was a nucleus for maintaining international confidence in the eyes of the foreign investors.

Pridiyathorn spent much of his career at Thai Farmers Bank, since renamed Kasikornbank, where he was both a top banker and a top administrator. At the BOT, he was one of the youngest central-bank governors in the world and last year won The Bankers Magazine's Asian Bankers Award for best central-bank governor. But his new role is his biggest challenge yet.

Kosit Panpiemras

With a life-long interest in rural development, Kosit, the new interim deputy prime minister and industry minister, has been a long-time confidant of Privy Councillor General Prem Tinsulanonda. He brings a knowledge of how to drive the rural economy to the interim government.

His skills at the highest national level have been built up over the years. Kosit was finance minister briefly in the Suchinda Kraprayoon government following the military coup against the Chatichai Choonhavan government in 1991 and agriculture minister in June 1992, where he put to work his plans for developing rural Thailand.

He has spent most of his career at the National Economic and Social Development Board, where he rose to the position of deputy secretary-general in 1986. He has four outstanding features. First, he is honest, credible and much sought-after as a policy-maker. Second, he is far-sighted, being the first economist to predict the 1997 financial crisis. Third, his experience at Bangkok Bank may provide a good platform for exploiting all mechanisms for giving rural Thailand a sustained economic boost. Fourth, he speaks his mind.

Krirk-krai Jirapaet

Interim Commerce Minister Krirk-krai's return to the ministry, where he used to serve as permanent secretary, brought joy to officials familiar with the tough style he exhibited during his 20 years of service, with a focus on trade negotiations.

His experience in trade talks should be a particular asset, which is probably why Pridiyathorn nominated him for the job, according to one insider.

During the Thaksin era, Krirk-krai was transferred from his job to the PM's Office. But despite political intervention, he continued to work directly on trade negotiations as executive director of the International Institute for Trade and Development, as well as head trade negotiator for the Thai-European Free-Trade Association pact. As Thailand's former ambassador to the World Trade Organisation, Krirk-krai will also help boost the Kingdom's image and attract trade and investment.

Thira Sutabutra

One of the surprising appointments was Thira, the new interim agriculture minister. Emerging from nowhere, his responsibility is relevant to his management background as former rector of Kasetsart University.

With the government's "Kitchen to the World" scheme still on, Thira must draft the country's agriculture development plan. And his background in plant pathology should help boost the country's farm production.

Suvit Yodmani

Newly appointed interim Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit is another dark horse. He served as deputy spokesman for the Chatichai government from 1988-91. In the Anand Panyarachun government, he served as spokesman.

However, Suwit is better known for his role in defending the image of his father-in-law, Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, leader of the military junta in the 1970s. Suvit has tirelessly travelled the world to tell the international community Thanom was innocent and not involved in two of the country's biggest political tragedies: the massacres of October 14, 1973, and October 6, 1976.

With his background, there is doubt about how well Suvit can handle his job overseeing tourism, which contributes about 10 per cent of the gross national product.

Sitthichai Pookaiyaudoom

Also little known is interim Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai.

Prior to this ministry post, he was rector of Mahanakorn University of Technology, which he founded in 1990. He was also a member of CAT Telecom Plc's board from 1984-86.

His achievements include winning the National Research Council of Thailand's first prize for a device that measures the humidity of paddy rice. From 1990-98, he was visiting professor at the University of London's Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.

Business Desk

The Nation