Bangkok: Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit has confirmed the resignation of Mr. Keerati Kitimanawat, Managing Director of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), effective April 24th. The decision comes as Mr. Keerati needs to attend to his aging and ill parents, necessitating his return to provide care for them.

According to Thai News Agency, Suriya clarified that there has been no political interference influencing Mr. Keerati’s resignation. He highlighted that if political pressure were a factor, Mr. Keerati would not have maintained his position for the past two years. Suriya dismissed rumors suggesting Mr. Keerati was aligned with a different political party, emphasizing that if such were the case, he would have been asked to resign much earlier.

Suriya further elaborated on the procedure to appoint a new Managing Director, stating that an interim appointment would be made before initiating the recruitment process for a permanent replacement. He reiterated there is no political involvement in this transition.

Additionally, there were rumors about Mr. Wim Rungwattanachinda, an AOT board member and part of the Prime Minister’s working group, being appointed as the acting director. However, Mr. Wim has denied these claims, stating that the reports are untrue.