UPON coming under investigation by the State Audit Office (SAO) Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) explained that high-fee hosts were hired as “magnets” to attract audience, likening the fee disparity to difference between lead actors and supporting cast members, PPTVHD36 said this evening (Oct. 14).
Two senior executives of the public television station, Mr. Piset Jiyasak, deputy director for administration, and Mr. Adisak Limprungpatanakit, deputy director for technology, said SAO had stated that the special audit committee was formed in response to public complaints.
Piset mentioned that he personally viewed the audit by SAO as its right and responsibility, noting that the agency conducts annual audits regardless, and that Thai PBS also maintains its own internal audit committee, which reviews operations three times a year.
However, the extent of SAO’s scrutiny and the establishment of a special committee raised questions. It was observed that there was a tight timeframe for concluding the audit and a hasty announcement of results made, particularly while the second phase of the audit had not ended, prompting speculation about the reasons behind such urgency.
Regarding the ongoing public hearing process, Piset emphasised that his remarks were personal opinion and did not reflect the official stance of Thai PBS.
Addressing the issue of fees paid to hosts, where reports indicated payments of up to 40,000 baht per appearance or hundreds of thousands of baht per episode, with a frequency of three to four episodes per month, Adisak acknowledged the concerns regarding rates perceived as excessively high.
He believes that wage rates depend on the individual. Citing the example of Mr. Weera Teerapat, one of the programme hosts, he noted that Weera had received varying rates from Thai PBS, ranging from high to low. He views this as a matter determined by the specific media outlet and the role involved, much like the difference in pay between a lead actor and a supporting actor.
Regarding the hiring of specific individuals, Adisak explained that Thai PBS sought “magnet” figures or “strikers” to bolster the team. At the time, the organisation lacked sufficiently prominent personalities yet faced a competitive environment, making it necessary to recruit well-known figures.
As for the incident where SAO sent a letter criticising Thai PBS’s coverage of the collapse of the SAO building, and whether this constituted media interference, Adisak noted that while there had previously been instances of people calling to request that certain news not be aired, this was the first time he had encountered a formal letter of complaint; typically, such methods are not used for media interference.
Upon receiving the letter, Thai PBS immediately initiated an internal review and replied to SAO stating that no ethical breaches had occurred and inviting SAO to clarify the matter on the programme. However, SAO declined the invitation, and the issue was considered closed. Thai PBS frequently receives such inquiries without publicising them, so it remains unclear how the document became public.
Regarding PNY Production, a company engaged for nine years, Piset pointed out that the new management team, which took over in 2025, had already terminated the contract with this firm; thus, he did not understand why past matters were being raised for review now.
“We investigated the dealings with this company. We found it to be an outsourced or co-production arrangement involving two programmes—one covering political news and the other economic news—where the company utilised its own equipment and delivered finished content to the channel. The investigation revealed no financial loss or corruption; the company delivered all work completely and in accordance with the Terms of Reference (TOR),” he said.
Regarding SAO’s query as to why an external company was hired when in-house personnel were available, Adisak explained that this was a matter of management discretion. At times, staff workloads are excessive, necessitating the use of external firms.
CAPTION:
Top and Front Page: Thai PBS executives Mr. Piset Jiyasak, left, and Mr. Adisak Limprungpatanakit, right. Photo – PPTVHD36
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