Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit has confirmed submitting proposals to the cabinet for the appointment and transfer of senior ministry officials.
He rejected allegations that the reshuffle was intended to purge officials aligned with former agriculture minister Capt Thamanat Prompow.
He insisted the appointments were made transparently based on integrity, performance and seniority, with no buying or selling of positions, and said he was ready to cooperate with any investigation.
Responding to Capt Thamanat, leader of the Klatham Party, who criticised the reshuffle on Facebook, Mr Suriya said all opinions on senior appointments would be considered.
However, he stressed that authority to propose senior civil service appointments rested with the ministry's permanent secretary, not the minister.
Mr Suriya noted that seven senior officials are due to retire on Sept 30, making new appointments necessary.
According to information provided by the permanent secretary, candidates were assessed comprehensively on their honesty, dedication, performance and seniority, with decisions reached after consultations among senior executives rather than by a single individual.
Once the permanent secretary had confirmed that the proposals had been carefully considered, Mr Suriya approved them before forwarding the list to the cabinet secretariat for cabinet consideration.
Asked whether the appointments were based solely on merit rather than financial considerations, as alleged, Mr Suriya firmly denied any improper conduct.
He said there had been no requests for benefits and no trading in positions. Anyone claiming otherwise, he added, should submit evidence to the relevant authorities, and he would fully explain the process if required.
Rejecting suggestions that the reshuffle was aimed at removing officials linked to a previous political faction, Mr Suriya said the ministry has 31 senior executives.
"If this were a purge, all 31 positions would have to be replaced," he said, arguing that appointments were determined by competence and qualifications.
Capt Thamanat earlier claimed several senior officials were being transferred for failing to comply with "financial policies", warning the reshuffle could affect farmers and unresolved issues including seafood exports and Chinese chicken imports.
