Some Background On Kingpower

[Mobi]

Firstly, here's a'steal' from an earlier thread by SJ (I'm sure he won't mind)

The board of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) is preparing to file a lawsuit with the

Administrative Court to seek a court order to scrap the commercial development contract of King Power International Group at Suvarnabhumi airport. AoT board member and spokesman Chirmsak Pinthong said after yesterday's board meeting that King Power was found to have violated and evaded the law governing private participation in state projects in its bid to win the right to carry out commercial development of the airport's passenger terminal. Mr Chirmsak said there was a scheme that purportedly put King Power's investment at Suvarnabhumi at less than one billion baht in order to evade a long selection procedure. The AoT board also found that King Power has occupied more space than it was contractually allowed. The firm's excessive commercial development inside the terminal is blocking direction signs and fire escapes. The offense could justify termination of its contract, he said. Also, King Power built a two-storey restaurant named Garden City adjacent to the domestic wing of the terminal although the contract did not permit such construction, said Mr Chirmsak.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/23Feb2007_news08.php

And here's a recent update:

LEGAL DISPUTE AIRPORT DUTY-FREE SHOPS

King Power back in business

AMORNRAT MAHITHIROOK

Chiang Rai _ The Civil Court has ordered Airports of Thailand (AoT) to let King Power International Group resume business at Suvarnabhumi pending a decision on their dispute. AoT earlier cancelled its contracts with King Power, the operator of duty-free shops and commercial areas at the airport, for alleged irregularities in the contracting process. The firm filed a counter lawsuit with the Civil Court and sought damages of 68 billion baht.

The court's injunction, issued on Wednesday and released yesterday, said the firm must be allowed to operate until a ruling is made in their dispute.

It also prohibited AoT and its executives from giving press interviews that might affect King Power's operations.

AoT has ordered King Power's eviction from duty-free outlets and commercial shopping space at the airport.

The contracts ran into problems early last year after the AoT board accused King Power of breaching the public-private joint venture law.

It said King Power had concealed information to keep the official investment in each of its two commercial developments at the airport under one billion baht to avoid proper scrutiny.

The court also instructed King Power to pay about three billion baht to the AoT, which has not received any revenue from the company since the airport opened.

Bangkok Post.

King Power is owned by Newin and his friends, one of the major partners in the Democrat led government.

I wonder if this thread will be deleted???

[GungaDin]

Newin Now, there's a fine upstanding member of the Thai comunity......

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Airports-Tha...er-t107927.html