Deadline to sign contract on high-speed train project postponed

By THE NATION

 

Saksayam

 

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob has postponed the deadline for the Charoen Pokphand-led group to sign a contract with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) on a high-speed train project to October 25 from the previous October 15, pending the complete appointment of a new SRT board.

 

The minister said the contract signing needs the approval of the SRT board. The board had resigned en mass on October 1.

 

Saksayam said that without board approval, the SRT would not be able to submit the signed documents for Cabinet approval.

 

The State Enterprise Policy Office is nominating members for the new SRT board, the names of which will be forwarded to the ministry for consideration this week. The ministry will then hand the list to the Cabinet on October 15 for approval.

 

Saksayam added that no one expected the SRT board to resign. 

 

The committee tasked with overseeing bidding for the high-speed train project earlier set October 15 as the deadline for signing the contract.

 

The CP-led consortium proposed the lowest price to develop the project that will link three major international airports – Don Mueang Airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport and U-Tapao Airport.

 

Saksayam said the SRT has already handed over 72 per cent of the total area for the project. 

 

Partners in the CP-led consortium comprise Bangkok Expressway and Metro Plc, China Railway Construction Corporation, Ch Karnchang Plc, and Italian-Thai Development Plc.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/edandtech/30377197

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-10-08

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

The SRT board were obviously ordered to resign to make way for a more compliant board.

 

30% cream off of a $7 billion project is no small amount of change which is why this project MUST happen

 

Everyone WILL be brought to heel and do as they are instructed.

The state enterprise policy office is nominating members for the new SRT board, members who will toe the line in accordance with what CP want.

52 minutes ago, webfact said:

Saksayam added that no one expected the SRT board to resign. 

 

Really? ???? ???? ???? We are expected to believe this?

Between this contract and the Hopewell appeal the previous board were looking for a way out of the frying pan. They now have a semblance of "plausible deniability".

So, they were that smart. They finally understood that it was not a great idea to ban the Pokphand family?

Fantastic! That means there are still a small production of grey matter in the brain basement.

????????????????????????

 

Oh, I thought they just said they would make CP commit by the deadline! 

 

And many of us in the other thread laughed as we know how Thailand works! 

 

Money and Power are the ONLY currency in Thailand. 

 

And CP has plenty. 

Edited October 8, 20196 yr by Fex Bluse

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob

I trust this guy, he is as honest as his father.

I live in Buriram and have no home insurance.

Didn't work then ? 

This was so predictable.

 

CP are 100% control of this deal.

 

"We want our people on the SRT board"....done

"We want to extend the deadline"....done

"We want to own all the land that the railway sits on"....working on it...

All aboard the gravy train ...

Even if this does get signed and even if construction commences, isn't a white elephant a likely outcome?

Their mistake, their money. No one else to blame as CP wins again.

Will there be 7-11 railway cars?

You have money? Then you can convince a government to do what you want!

What a surprise.

A delay on rail projects, well I never...

11 hours ago, mok199 said:

All aboard the gravy train ...

 

Edited October 9, 20196 yr by thequietman

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The State Enterprise Policy Office

SEPO's five-year development plan for state-owned enterprises follows the law drafted by the Prayut administration in line with the junta's 20-year national strategy embedded in the 2017 Constitution.

Ekniti Nitithanprapas headed SEPO from 2015-2018.

He was replaced by Prapas Kong-Ied, director-general of Public Debt Management Office (PDMO), who named Sepo director-general. https://www.scb.co.th/en/about-us/board-of-director/prapas.html

 

September 30 The Nation:

Board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are expected to tender their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob soon, according to sources.

There has been speculation for some time that the members have been under pressure to resign, as the minister reportedly wants to reconstitute the board.

 

October 01 The Thaiger:

Two days ago the story about the transport Minister pressuring board members of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). Two days later, not some but ALL, board members of the SRT, including the board’s chairman Kulit Sombatsiri, tendered their resignations to Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob.

Effective immediately.

The Nation reports that Kulit denied reports that the mass resignation was due to political pressure, without providing any independent reasons for the mass departures.

There had been speculation for some time that they were under pressure to resign, saying the transport minister wanted to replace the entire board with new members. There was also a litany of expensive mistakes based on poor decisions by the SRT Board over the last decade.

Kulit says the board was appointed by the previous NCPO government and it was appropriate to step down when the new elected government took over.

 

Today The Nation

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Saksayam added that no one expected the SRT board to resign. 

Khun Saksayam, one question out of curiosity:

just exactly how stupid do you think everyone else is?

12 hours ago, mok199 said:

All aboard the gravy train ...

And soon the gravy-train will be pulling into Baan Charoen !

22 hours ago, klauskunkel said:

it was appropriate to step down when the new elected government took over

In what future will there be a truly "new" government?

With New Cabinet, Thailand Replaces Junta With Army Allies

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2019/07/18/with-new-cabinet-thailand-replaces-junta-with-army-allies/

 

I should be so lucky....lucky,lucky,lucky,lucky.