Rachen Sillaparaya: The rainmaking bureaucrat who unleashed thunder

Senior bureaucrats rarely dispute orders from above, even when their own jobs are at stake.

So, when Rachen Sillaparaya chose to go on the attack after being ousted as director-general of the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation in late April, Thailand took notice. Rachen declared he was protecting his professional integrity and dignity by choosing to resign rather than accepting a transfer to an inactive post.

He also dropped a bombshell, hinting that his “unfair transfer” was punishment for failing to cooperate with the relative of a “ministry boss” who had repeatedly sought meetings to discuss potential business deals.

Rachen added that shortly before the Cabinet assumed office in early April, he had declined an invitation to discuss his department’s budget plans with the same man at a political party’s headquarters. According to media reports, the unnamed political party belongs to the ruling coalition.

While Rachen refused to name names, media reports indicate the man in question is a nephew of Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit.

Suriya, a senior Pheu Thai politician, admitted his nephew sought meetings with Rachen, but insisted the bureaucrat was not transferred for declining his requests. He later identified the nephew as former Nok Air CEO Wutthiphum Jurangkool.

In a May 1 Facebook post, Wutthiphum rejected the allegations as “not consistent with the truth”, but fell short of directly denying Rachen’s claims.

Agriculture minister in the spotlight

The controversy has made headlines, as it is extremely rare for Thai civil servants – no matter how high-ranking – to challenge their “big boss”.

Rachen’s allegations have placed the agriculture minister under tight scrutiny. In addition to the media spotlight, two high-profile complainants have filed separate petitions accusing Suriya of gross ethical misconduct – a move that could threaten his Cabinet seat and political future, according to observers.

Former senator Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, a prolific petitioner whose 2008 Constitutional Court complaint led to the ouster of Samak Sundaravej as prime minister, has asked the Election Commission to probe Suriya’s actions.

Ruangkrai says there are grounds to remove Suriya, as the Constitution mandates that ministers must “be of evident integrity” and “comply with ethical standards”.

Fellow serial complainant Srisuwan Janya has petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate whether Suriya’s order to transfer Rachen constituted gross ethical misconduct. He claims the minister may also have violated constitutional rules against conflicts of interest.

Veteran bureaucrat

Rachen, who hails from the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom, holds two bachelor’s degrees – in civil engineering from Rajamangala University of Technology Isan and in industrial technology from Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat Institute.

His long career at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry includes many years working as a senior engineer at the Royal Irrigation Department, before becoming its construction project director.

He rose to Minister’s Office director after Chalermchai Sri-on of the Democrat Party became agriculture minister in 2019, before promotion to deputy director-general of the Department of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation.

He stepped onto the top rung as the department’s director-general in January last year, under then-agriculture minister Narumon Pinyosinwat, former leader of the Klatham Party.

Both the Democrats and Klatham now sit on the opposition bench.

Under Rachen’s leadership, the department spearheaded artificial rainmaking efforts to replenish national dams and disperse PM 2.5 smog.

Rachen notes that pivotal changes in his career often coincided with the arrival of a new minister. However, he insists that as a career bureaucrat, he is politically neutral, dedicated to serving the ministry regardless of the party in charge.

A quiet truce?

Rachen tendered his resignation on April 29, just a day after the Cabinet endorsed Suriya’s order to transfer him. He will leave office on June 23, three months before reaching mandatory retirement at the end of September.

In his retirement letter, he explained that he was “unable to comply with the political leadership's policies”. He subsequently told reporters that he was quitting to protect his dignity as a civil servant.

Rachen, who will turn 60 on August 7, has since retreated from the spotlight, announcing he will take leave to ordain as a Buddhist monk from May 25 until his resignation takes effect on June 23.

Observers say the move signals a quiet truce with Suriya, following reports that two Pheu Thai key figures pressured Rachen to halt his public disclosures.

Before now, Rachen had managed to maintain good ties with numerous senior politicians from multiple parties throughout his civil service career.

Politics runs in the family: his younger sister is a local politician in Sakon Nakhon, while his niece ran under the Bhumjaithai banner in the February 8 general election.