The mass transfer of top-ranking officials shortly after the May 22 coup came as no real surprise as it involved those thought to have close ties with the ousted Yingluck administration.
But the second wave of transfers of senior officials appears to indicate how serious the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) is in its pledge to tackle deep-rooted corruption and the patronage system in the bureaucratic system.
Several of those given new posts in the orders issued last Friday and on Monday were transferred right after the coup. These individuals, including former permanent secretary Nipat Thonglek, have now been given "specially appointed positions" which will be terminated after they retire.
"The NCPO's objective is not to come after the 'Thaksin regime'. It is going after corruption and the patronage system which have been abused by politicians and state officials," said a source.
By Thaksin regime, the source was referring to the influence of deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra on politicians and civil servants.
According to the source, the transfer orders issued on Friday and Monday come after the NCPO found irregularities and information that some state officials are still in close contact with former cabinet ministers and politicians including Thaksin.
Last month, NCPO chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha issued a stern warning during a meeting on the 2015 budget that government officials should not meet or consult with "him" — a thinly veiled reference to Thaksin.
At Tuesday's meeting of the National Rice Policy Committee, Gen Prayuth defended the latest transfers, saying they were not intended to bully state officials. He also promised to stamp out corruption and called on those who had witnessed such acts to report them to the NCPO.
"From now on the NCPO insists there will be no corruption or bribes. Anyone who encounters it is urged to report the matter. We will look into it and take immediate action," he was quoted as saying.
However, some political observers consider the latest transfer orders as an attempt by the NCPO to "return justice" to state officials who were bypassed by the previous government.
A case in point is the transfer of Somchai Siriwattanachoke who was shifted from permanent secretary for transport to an advisory post at the Prime Minister's Office.
The NCPO appointed Soithip Trisuddhi, deputy permanent secretary for transport, to succeed Mr Somchai as permanent transport secretary.
The appointment of Ms Soithip is being seen by some observers as an effort to boost the morale of state officials. Ms Sothip was tipped to be the ministry's first female permanent secretary in the 2012 reshuffle with strong backing from then transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt, but she missed out due to alleged political intervention.
The post went to Pol Gen Wichean Potephosree, who was transferred from the National Security Council secretary-general post.
In 2013 after Pol Gen Wichean retired, Ms Soithip missed out again, "losing" the post to Mr Somchai who was said to have the blessing of Pheu Thai heavyweight Yaowapa Wongsawat, Thaksin's sister. Both Ms Soithip and Mr Somchai are due to retire in September next year.
Ms Soithip is seen by transport officials as a much better candidate for the top post. She worked at the Office of Transport and Traffic Planning and has a thorough understanding of the transport system while Mr Somchai's experience and expertise are limited to land transport.
It is not that the new permanent secretary is without political affiliations. She is known to be close to late transport minister Montri Pongpanit and has ties with key members of the Bhumjaithai Party.
However, Ms Soithip is known to entertain the idea that civil officials should be able to work with politicians of any party while sticking to the principle of good governance.
However, the transfer of Prawit Kiangpol from director-general of the Department of Employment to the labour inspector-general post is viewed as a demotion even though both positions are C-10 level.
The demotion comes shortly after Thailand was downgraded to the lowest level, or Tier 3, in the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report. The military has pledged to make the issue of human trafficking and immigration worker a top priority.
The shunting of Srirat Rastapana from permanent commerce secretary to an adviser at the PM's Office, is believed to stem from her close ties to Thaksin.
Ms Srirat was appointed permanent secretary by the Yingluck administration amid reports that she travelled to Dubai and Hong Kong to meet Thaksin.
However, according to a source in the Commerce Ministry, Ms Srirat is known to be efficient and has a clean image.
Meanwhile, the transfers of Customs Department chief Rakop Srisupaat and Revenue Department chief Sutthichai Sangkhamanee are not a big surprise as both are thought to have close relationships with the Shinawatra family.
Mr Rakop was promoted during the last government to customs department chief only one year after he served as deputy chief. Mr Sutthichai was also promoted to revenue department chief after one year of serving in the inspector-general post.
Mr Rakop is believed to have a close relationship with Ms Yaowapa and he was a classmate of Phorruethai, the wife of Thaksin's younger brother Phayap, at the National Defence College.
The transfer of permanent secretary for natural resources and environment Chote Trachu is also no surprise, with the reason for his transfer said to be due to Gen Prayuth's dissatisfaction with his performance.
A source said Gen Prayuth voiced his disappointment at the ministry’s failure to recover watershed forest areas. He made a stern complaint to the ministry during a recent water management meeting, saying: “Would it be good to dissolve the ministry?”