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Published on September 5, 2007

A source at AOT said Kulya tendered her resignation to the board on August 30, but the board has asked her to consider the matter thoroughly and has not yet approved her resignation.

"If Khun Kulya insists on her decision at the board meeting on September 6, we will review this issue," said the source, who asked not to be named. Kulya could be not reached for comment.

AOT officers said she was on an overseas trip but would return to attend the board meeting tomorrow.

The source admitted that Kulya had been uncomfortable as acting president because of several orders by the board - chiefly the order to remove King Power International Group's duty-free operation.

The case has gone to the Civil Court, which means King Power

has legal protection until the case is over.

Kulya said during an interview on August 24, a day after the board ordered management to remove the duty-free area, that she would seek legal advice from internal and external units about whether she was empowered to remove King Power.

She was afraid that any action in line with the board's decision would land her in trouble.

Kulya, as senior executive vice president for planning and finance, was appointed acting president by the AOT board chaired by Saprang Kalayanamitr in February. She was expected to serve for two months while the board selected a new president. However, the selection process has not yet finished.

According to Kulya, 10 people applied for the post but the Council of State has yet to verify the qualification of an applicant. The selection process will continue only when the verification is completed, she said.

"Due to the huge publicity, work at Suvarnabhumi has progressed slowly. I admit that we have to be thorough in everything to prevent bad publicity. Every day, I receive a letter from contractors, saying that they have not yet received the money for the work they have completed," she said.

However, Kulya said recently that she was not thinking about resigning, saying she was doing her best.

"Yet there are so many problems and I think my responsibility well surpasses my pay. To date, I earn the salary of a CFO, not president."

Meanwhile, Saprang also reportedly said that he would quit as AOT chairman.

However, both Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen and his deputy Sansern Wongcha-um said they did not acknowledge the report and had not even discussed the matter with Saprang.

Saprang said yesterday that if appointed the next Army commander-in-chief, he would quit chairmanship at all the state enterprises' board of directors he was serving.

Watcharapong Thongrung,

 Achara Deboonme

 The Nation