BANGKOK - THE president of flag carrier Thai Airways resigned from his position on Tuesday, citing poor health and ongoing disagreements with the board, an airline spokesman said.

Apinan Sumanaseni had been stripped of his management duties after a meeting of the airline's board in June, but within hours the Thai Airways union forced them to restore Mr Apinan to his position.

The management differences appear to have boiled over, with Mr Apinan's resignation effective from January next year.

'He gave two reasons for his resignation - firstly health problems and secondly he said he cannot work with the board,' the spokesman said.

The reasons for the dramatic split within the company's management remained unclear, but Thai Airways has been suffering from a fall in profits due to high fuel costs and a strong local currency.

It posted losses of 9.23 billion baht (S$416 million) in the second quarter of 2008 - its biggest quarterly loss in a decade. -- AFP