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Published on January 31, 2008

I remember a day last week when he participated in a morning seminar on the prospect of nuclear power plants in Thailand. Back at his office in the afternoon, he told reporters the ministry would maintain its original schedule to launch B2 diesel at all service stations and announced a plan to change the pricing formula for pure biodiesel.

Then, before leaving for home, he talked about PTT's rental fees on three natural gas pipelines.

On a talk show on Monday night, Piyasvasti said he had accomplished more than he expected in less than a year.

His biggest accomplishment was the establishment of the power regulatory board that saved PTT from delisting and the entire nation from an economic catastrophe.

Under Piyasvasti, the ministry saw the speedy development of alternative energy as a way to reduce imports of energy. Then the Oil Fund successfully cleared its debts. In his view, consumers will cut oil consumption only when there is no price intervention.

 After he announced his achievements, the TV programme's highlight came at the end when his wife Anik appeared. She told the audience why Piyasvasti is so crazy about saving energy.

His nickname among his family is "the family bin", for at every meal he always cleans up all remaining food. He picked up the habit in boarding school where a teacher told the boys of hard times during World War II when people were starving to death. Piyasvasti also ensures that a toothpaste tube is really empty before opening a new one.

"I have done everything and I have nothing to pass on to the new government," he said, smiling with his trademark sign of confidence: rapid eye-blinking. Wow! That's impressive, isn't it?

Piyasvasti's successor won't have anything to do. Hopefully, he won't bother making himself busy by intervening in oil prices.

achara_d@nationgroup.com