Prime Minister Thak-sin Shinawatra made sweeping changes to his Cabinet line-up yesterday, but many of the “new” ministers were members of his previous Cabinet.

The changes involved 17 Cabinet posts, covering key ministries such as Interior, Finance, Transport, Commerce and Education.

They appear designed to take the embattled Suriya Jungrungreang-kit out of the spotlight at the Transport Ministry.

Yesterday’s reshuffle was the first in the second term of the Thak-sin administration and the big-gest overhaul ever as far as the Thai Rak Thai leader is concerned.

Pressured by mounting head-aches from prolonged violence in the South, a drawn-out controversy over the baggage-scanning system for the new airport and a weakening economy, Thaksin finally made the long-awaited changes.

After chairing a Cabinet meeting in Chanthaburi yesterday, Thaksin flew to Prachuap Khiri Khan in the evening for an audience with His Majesty the King at Klai Kangwon palace.

He told reporters the changes were made so the new Cabinet was “the best it can be”.

The new appointments were announced last night following Royal endorsement. A swearing-in ceremony before the King is scheduled for 4pm today.

Three Cabinet members have lost their jobs: Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik, Information and Communications Technology Minister Suwit Khunkitti, Science and Technology Minister Korn Thapparansi.

Four new appointees are not part of the previous Cabinet.

Pongsak Ruktapongpisal, a senior Thai Rak Thai Party figure close to the prime minister, will become the new transport minister, replacing Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who has been heavily criticised over the airport scandal and has been seen as one of the main targets to be shifted.

Pongsak is not a totally new face. He served as deputy commerce minister in Thaksin’s previous administration.

ACM Kongsak Wantana, who resigned as Air Force commander-in-chief on Monday, was appointed the new Interior minister. He is also viewed as closely connected to the government leader.

Another senior military figure, General Chaiyanan Charoensiri, will take up the post of deputy transport minister. His comes from the military engineering corps.

The new Science minister is Pravich Ratanapian, who served briefly as deputy commerce minister in the Chuan Leekpai government. He was a Thai trade representative before his latest appointment.

For some incumbent Cabinet members, the changes appear to be demotions, as they will be moved into less coveted positions.

Outgoing Justice minister Suwat Liptapanlop will now serve as a deputy prime minister. Watana Muangsook, the new social development and human security minister, was previously industry minister. Outgoing tourism and sports minister Somsak Thepsuthin will serve as the new labour minister.

For others, the changes are clearly promotions.

These include Tourism and Sports Minister Pracha Maleenont, formerly social development and human security minister, ICT Minister Sora-at Klinpratoom, formerly labour minister, PM’s Office Minister Newin Chidchob, formerly deputy agriculture minister, Agriculture Minister Adisorn Piengket, formerly deputy transport minister, and Deputy Commerce Minister Preecha Laohapongchana, formerly deputy foreign minister.

The extent of the Cabinet changes surprised even some of the incumbent members yesterday, a source said. Deputy Prime Minister Pinij Charusombat was overheard exclaiming: “Will the changes really involve 17 positions?”

Korn, who lost his seat, said with a shaken voice that the prime minister had not told him about the change prior to the announcement.

“I had breakfast with him before the Cabinet meeting and he said nothing about it. Now I’m going to pack. I think I have done my best in the office,” he said.

Thaksin thanked his Cabinet members at the Chanthaburi meeting and said that some would not remain in their seats, according to outgoing deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang, who is to become the new education minister.

A source quoted Thaksin as saying that some of those dropped from the Cabinet could make a comeback in the future.

After the meeting finished, Thaksin talked personally with Suriya. The outgoing transport minister appeared tensed afterward.

Other Cabinet members like Suwat Liptapanlop also wore a grim look after the meeting.

By retaining Suriya in his new Cabinet, it appears that Thaksin dares not risk a rift with TRT’s powerful Wang Nam Yom faction, which has more than 100 party MPs. But the premier has been under pressure since June to sack Suriya over charges of corruption in the purchase of bomb-detection machines for the new airport.

Suriya is a key member of Wang Nam Yom, but sacking him could be interpreted as an admission that corruption did take place, which may well have been unacceptable to faction members.

The premier was unlikely to jeopardise unity at a time when his popularity has plunged to its lowest point since 2001, according to a recent survey.

There has been speculation that Thaksin was unsure how to handle Suriya’s situation until the pair came to a compromise - to switch Suriya to the industry portfolio.

Dr Somkid Jatusripitak, the deputy prime minister and finance minister, has left the finance portfolio to become commerce minister. Yet he still retains his dual post of deputy prime minister. This suggests Somkid is the bona fide head of the Thaksin’s economic team.

Once the government completes its bureaucratic reforms by combining the commerce and the industry ministries together to create a ministry of international trade and industry, Somkid is expected to take over this powerful post.

Earlier, Somkid indicated that he would like to leave the finance portfolio to focus on managing broader economic strategies, such as promoting exports, tourism and foreign direct investment.

Dr Thanong Bidaya, the commerce minister, has become finance minister, a job he previously held at the height of the 1997 financial crisis. Less than two weeks after his appointment as finance minister by the Chavalit government, Thanong announced a devaluation of the baht which triggered the Thai and Asian financial crisis.

Thanong is very close to the prime minister, as he used to work as a fund manager looking after Thaksin’s personal assets. He will have a big challenge in trying to steer the economy onto a healthy growth path.

Violence in the deep South is one of the main factors behind this reshuffle, although no one expects any real breakthrough in containing the violence there.

Kongsak is the new interior chief and he will have the extra duty of working with Justice Minister Chidchai Vanasadiya, who continues to be the de-facto security tsar.

Chidchai will continue to be the main person to watch in regard to the government’s handling of the South. He will be the key person also in use of the controversial emergency decree that granted the executive branch unprecedented powers to deal with the crisis.

There is nothing in Kongsak’s resume to suggest his military experience will help him meet the unconventional security challenges that have seen more than 800 people killed since January last year. If the past 19 months is any indication, Kongsak is not expected to make any meaningful impact on the security situation in the troubled South.