New Bangkok governor appointed

BANGKOK, October 18 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha has appointed a former deputy Bangkok governor and former deputy national police chief, Police General Assawin Kwangmuang, to be the new Bangkok Governor, effective as of October 18. The prime minister, who is also chief of the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), resorted to his power under the Section 44 of the Provisional Constitution to issue the order on Tuesday, under which the newly-appointed Bangkok Governor's predecessor, MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, was removed from his post after having been ordered to suspend his duty over the past few months due to a spate of alleged irregularities. Under Tuesday's order, all other Bangkok deputy governors were also removed and the new Bangkok Governor has the mandate to soon appoint his four new deputies to work until the next gubernatorial election will be held, or a new order, if any, will be issued. MR Sukhumbhand had been suspended from his work since August, following allegations on misspending of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's budgets in many projects, including New Year 2016 light tunnels in front of the City Hall and procurements of fire trucks and fire boats. (TNA)