Prime Minister’s Deputy Secretary-General Puttipong Punnakan has been appointed the new government spokesman, replacing Lt-Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Wednesday that the appointment of the new government spokesman was meant for a “change of atmosphere and for a “change of image for the better”.

He added that he had already talked with Sansern about the replacement and the latter did not have any problem about it.

Puttipong, meanwhile, said that the replacement would allow Sansern to work full time at the Public Relations Department as the director-general.

As for himself, he said he would need some time to make adjustements as he is wearing two hats – one as the deputy secretary-general of the prime minister and the other, the government spokesman.

However, he said that there would be some changes in the spokesman’s work dealing with the media, citing social media as the priority platform.  He added that there would be additional staff to help him out in communication with the media as well as with the media.