| Headline: Thai prime minister’s day in court Source: Euromoney Date: July 2001 Author: Kevin Rafferty
Bangkok's newspapers and political circles were full of both claims last month after the prime minister abruptly sacked the respected governor of the Bank of Thailand, Chatumongkol Sonakul. Supporters of Thaksin claim that the central bank governor had to be removed because he did not support raising interest rates, which the government believes is a way of getting the economy moving. Chatumongkol had fought fiercely for the independence of the central bank and had also clashed with the previous government of Chuan Leekpai. Critics of the governor also say he was too outspoken. “He is an arrogant so-and-so, a typical finance ministry bureaucrat,” claims one young official who approves of Thaksin's action. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||