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Pornchai may be wellversed in economic affairs because he was former head of the Budget Bureau, but he is also known to be close to politicians. He was an adviser to ousted PM Thaksin Shinawatra, and is also facing a lawsuit over the controversial government lottery project.

When it was reported that former finance minister Surapong Suebwonglee had nomi¬nated Pornchai and five others for the new BoT board, some raised doubts over the integrity of future decisions made by the central bank. Some asked if the BoT would make decisions on interest rates independently as its board had people with political connections.

Apart from Pornchai, the board also includes national police chief Gen Pacharawat Wongsuwan and AttorneyGeneral Chaikasem Nitisiri who is currently implicated in the CTX bombscanner scandal. Plus, most of the new members are not known for their financial expertise - an essential requirement for the board.

BoT officials yesterday denied that the central bank itself had proposed the withdrawal of Pornchai's nomination, but sources said he was dropped because the government had changed. Pornchai might be nominated again if the new government thinks he is qualified person, the source said.

However, the new government will have to revise their nomination carefully to ensure that the integrity of the central bank's decision is not compromised.

After all, the Thais are becoming increasingly aware of monitoring the qualifications and performance of persons appointed to important political and economic positions because it affects them directly. It's no longer possible for the government to put connected people in critical positions and let them get away unchecked. The new BoT board would certainly be scrutinised by the public again.