Former finance minister and deputy premier MR Pridiyathorn Devakula poses with Government House reporters outside the Banchakarn Building after announcing his resignation yesterday.

Pridiyathorn singled out several figures including an aide to the PM, and a Cabinet member, who he said had done wrong by favouring a particular media outlet.

He did not mention any names but his remarks were widely seen as a veiled attack against PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan and Sondhi Limthongkul's Manager Media Group.

His resignation takes effect today, and means he has vacated both his positions as deputy

premier in charge of economic affairs and that of finance minister.

"I don't want to work in the climate of ambiguity [in regard to intentions towards me] and the influence of a certain media group," he said.

However, he insisted he had parted ways with the prime minister on amicable terms.

"Prime Minister [Surayud Chulanont] has always accorded me with much honour and his leadership has not been ambiguous," he said, thanking Surayud for standing by him after he had made the unpopular decision on capital controls to stem the rising value of the baht.

At the press conference to explain his exit, he said two key events in the past 10 days had prompted him to quit.

The first was the appointment of an individual from the ousted government as spokesman for the sufficiency economy theory, he said, referring to Somkid Jatusripitak, who was made economic envoy, but resigned within a week after the People's Alliance for Democracy slammed the move.

Pridiyathorn said the appointment was unjustified and might have been part of a scheme

directed at him and hatched by the powerful figure behind the scene.

Even though the appointment of Somkid fell through, an

office-holder who brokered the deal was still in the government and this could not be tolerated, he said.

According to press reports, Virachai Viramethikul, an aide to the prime minister, was the man behind Somkid's appointment.

Turning to the second event, Pridiyathorn said he was disappointed that a certain minister went so far as to risk breaking the law in order to favour one media group.

"I cannot accept this because it creates a perception that the government is under the influence of this media group," he said.

PM's Office Minister Thirapat is the political overseer of media affairs, and instructed state-run Channel 11 to air "Thailand Watch", a talk-show hosted by media tycoon Sondhi Limthongkul.

The programme was co-broadcast with ASTV, a satellite TV station fighting a court battle because it has no broadcast licence. To allay criticism, Sondhi took his show off the state-run station on Tuesday.

Sondhi's Manager Group has been highly critical of Pridiyathorn and his economic policies.

Pridiyathorn said he chose to relinquish his responsibilities after he had made sure the economy would stay on course. He was confident his successor would have no trouble fulfilling the responsibilities.

"The big projects have been sorted out and are ready to take off, exports are on track and the baht will not be too strong," he said.

He dismissed concern that his exit might have a negative

impact on confidence in the government, wryly saying that the government's image should improve without having him as distraction.

Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation