Crime NACC Probes Surat Thani Garbage Truck Purchase Amid Overpricing

[Georgealbert]

 

Picture courtesy of Daily News.

 

The Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) in Surat Thani has launched an investigation into the municipality’s nearly 20-million-baht purchase of waste collection trucks, following public concerns that the vehicles may have been overpriced.

 

On 8 August, Netipol Chumyong, Director of the NACC’s Surat Thani office, instructed officials from the anti-corruption prevention division to inspect the project. The probe follows a post on the “Watchdog Operation” Facebook page, which claimed that Surat Thani Municipality spent 19,865,000 baht on two semi-trailer garbage trucks with prime movers, a price some believe to be excessive.

 

Municipal officials explained that the city handles approximately 150 tonnes of waste per day, with volumes steadily increasing. Existing garbage trucks lack the capacity to transport all waste directly to the main landfill site, located 38 kilometres away. As a result, part of the waste is temporarily stored at a privately operated facility before final disposal.

 

To address the shortfall and improve waste management efficiency, the municipal council approved the purchase of two semi-trailer waste transport trucks under the 2024 budget. The procurement was conducted through electronic bidding (e-bidding), with a set median price of 20 million baht, based on quotations from three companies.

 

The purchased trucks were custom-built, featuring stainless steel bodies and multiple hydraulic systems, designed for durability and resistance to corrosive leachate. The municipality insists that the full technical specifications can be verified.

 

The NACC has described the operation as a proactive step to gather preliminary information, including technical details and pricing criteria, before conducting an in-depth investigation to determine whether the purchase complied with relevant regulations and transparency standards.

 

  Adapted by Asean Now from Daily News 2025-08-10