The Interior Ministry will appoint an entirely new city council to take over June 16 when the terms of Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and the 24-member legislative panel expires.
Gen. Anupong Paojinda said the military regime will name 12 new council members to manage the city’s 1.7-billion-baht budget, as no local – or any other type of – elections are allowed under the junta. Military appointments of replacements for democratically elected local and provincial councils have been standard practice since the May 2014 military coup.
Itthiphol and nearly the entire 24-member council were elected to a second four-year term on June 17, 2012. Two of the council members are serving their first term. The ministry appointed council will have only 12 members.
Pattaya City Manager Wuthipol Charoenpol will take over as acting mayor.
Junta leader and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha signed an order on May 4 setting up a committee to nominate new Pattaya council members. Included on the board is Chonburi Gov. Khomsan Ekachai.
The ministry said qualifications for the new council will be expertise in leadership, finance, educations, law, the environment, engineering, health other specialties needed to manage a large city like Pattaya.
The new members can be local civil servants. The council will be selected within 30 days.
