Way cleared for bids to open for U-Tapao airport redevelopment under Eastern Airport City project

By The Nation

 

 

The Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy Committee will proceed with the opening of bids for the redevelopment of U-Tapao airport under the Eastern Airport City project on expectations of declaring the winners by the end of next month.

 

The projects related to the airport and the city to grow around it come under the development scheme for the flagship economic zone. Part of the plan features high-speed rail connections serving urban expansion plans that will enable the area’s growth into an aviation-themed metropolis within 10 years.

 

Kanis Saengsuphan, the secretary general of the committee, said there are two projects within the scheme that are facing difficulties.

 

While some bidders have been tardy in submitting documents for the U-Tapao project, several bidders have made mistakes related to the signatures for documents for the third phase of the Laem Chabang deep sea port – another major development planned for the economic zone.

 

Papers have been filed in relation to both cases with the appeal-review committee of the Administrative Court in order to bring the conflict between bidders and the committee to an end, Kanis said.

 

“If the committee doesn’t stick to the rules, then other bidders may file a lawsuit, so the best way is to stick to the biding regulations,” Kanis said. “Nevertheless, we believe that bidding for every EEC project will be completed within August this year.”

 

According to a source, the EEC selection committee has opened a second set of documents covering the technical details and business plans of the three bidders.

 

The bidders are Grand Consortium (Grand Asset Hotels and Property PCL, Thai Air Asia Co Ltd and Christiani and Nielsen); BBS Group Consortium (BTS Group Holdings, Bangkok Aviation PCL and Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction); and. He Pokphand Group-led Thana Holding Consortium (Thana Holding Co Ltd, B. Grimm Joint Venture Holdings Co Ltd, Italian-Thai Development PCL, Ch. Karnchang PCL and Orient Success International Co Ltd).

 

The source said that CP Group’s second set of documents has not been opened due to its late submission and the review is ongoing.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/30372404

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-07

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

I would buy some U-Tapao airport shares if they were available and the expansion went ahead.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Part of the plan features high-speed rail connections serving urban expansion plans that will enable the area’s growth into an aviation-themed metropolis within 10 years.

I don't know if it has been reported so far, but will this high-speed rail connection deliver passengers directly to the airport terminal itself, or will there be some further connection needed?

"The source said that CP Group’s second set of documents has not been opened due to its late submission and the review is ongoing"

Until some brown envelopes and Mercedes car have been passed to the right persons and CP declared as the winner of the bidding process.

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The bidders are Grand Consortium (Grand Asset Hotels and Property PCL, Thai Air Asia Co Ltd and Christiani and Nielsen)

Thai Air Asia is the sole asset of Asia Aviation PLC and since at least 2017 has seen its financial statements worsen. https://www.set.or.th/set/factsheet.do?symbol=AAV&language=en&country=EN

Its JV with the GC is a questionable and perhaps unnecessary risk.