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The BoT governor must dare to tell the prime minister the truth even when the message is upsetting. And if that governor isn’t brave enough to tell the truth,he or she should leave officeThe chapter that most reflects his philosophy is “Public Office Is Public Trust”, a motto espoused by Ajarn Puey.“Public office is not a building, it is not being governor but it is the trust we gain from the public. It is useless if we gain public office but lack public trust. Ajarn spoke a great deal about the role of the central banker. He often said that the BoT governor must dare to tell the prime minister the truth even when the message is upsetting. And if that governor isn’t brave enough to tell the truth, he or she should leave office.”When Mr Prasarn became governor, he immediately reinstated values instilled by Ajarn Puey to establish a collective identity for BoT staff, including being upright, far-sighted, helpful and down-to-earth. If there was one thing separating him from other governors, it would be his knack for marketing and communication strategy. Apart from overseeing monetary policy and banking, he paid attention to rebuilding the brand image of the BoT.For private corporations, brand building might be a common activity. But the BoT is a traditional and proud institution full of serious economists taught to be secretive and reserved. He remembered that staff were reluctant when he tried to promote good communication and make the BoT accessible to the public.“BoT staff look at the BoT as a protector of the country’s economic stability. They do not look at their work as service. But I asked them whether or not the BoT has clients. In their answer, the clients of the BoT are the government, financial institutions, commercial banks and the public. So if we have clients, we have products which are service.”During his tenure, the BoT maintained the stability of the economy. It was no easy ride. The global economy has been in a sombre mode. Street protests paralyzed