Many of us remember Mr Panthongtae's business empire thriving when his father and then prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra ran the country. First, he is a son of Preecha Chan-o-cha, permanent secretary for defence and younger brother of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. With his father as the No.1 bureaucrat in the Defence Ministry, not to mention his uncle as prime minister, Mr Pathompol's successfully bid triggered public suspicion. Unlike the bidding scandal, Gen Preecha was quoted as saying about the appointment that nepotism is a "normal thing that everyone does". Gen Preecha will continue to find comfort from his circle.

Source: Bangkok Post September 21, 2016 21:56 UTC