Piyaphan quits Transport as C-11 official

The former deputy permanent secretary was awarded the rank of C-11 - the highest among civil servants - on September 22, shortly before his retirement at the end of the month. The Cabinet's endorsement of his new rank will take effect retrospectively.

Despite his retirement, Piyaphan will remain chairman of the Transport Co and the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.

At his farewell party, Piyaphan did not express any regret at leaving without having achieved the position of permanent secretary, saying merely that he had always done his best as an official of the ministry.

Awarding him the rank of C-11 was possible under a measure introduced by the Samak Sundarvej administration to help senior officials who were adversely affected by the 2007 coup.

Piyaphan, when director-general of the Land Transport Department, was nominated to become permanent secretary by the Thaksin Shinawatra government on August 15, 2006.

However, after the coup, his nomination was nullified and the Surayud Chulanont government on October 24 that year awarded the position to Chaisawat Kittipornpaibul, then Highways Department director-general.

Piyaphan later filed a complaint with the Samak government.

Piyaphan joined the civil service in 1971 as an official in the Land Transport Department, after graduating in law from Chulalongkorn University.

He climbed the ladder and became the department's director-general in 2002.