Addendum
THAI’s most successful recent president returns as board director
June 1st 2020
Dr. Piyasvasti Amranand, a former energy minister, arrived at Thai Airways International in 2009 armed with a considerable reputation for mental toughness and political nous. Read More » Within months he had made a huge impact at the carrier which was confronted by superior Asian flag carriers and new competitors in the low-cost sector. A London School of Economics PhD and a first class honors graduate in mathematics from Oxford University, Piyasvasti brought clarity to THAI’s operations as he attempted to untangle a large mismatched fleet and improve the productivity of a bloated workforce. He was making leaps and bounds in turning around the airline when he suddenly departed THAI because of “communications issues” with the airline’s board.
Since then, THAI has had three presidents, most recently Sumeth Damrongchaitham. He took over in September 2018 and resigned in mid-March this year. Sumeth said he resigned because “those in power” told him “his mission was over”, the Bangkok Post reported.
“Even if there was no COVID-19, THAI could not afford to continue as it was as the national carrier,” he said.
