He acknowledged that the criticism might have come from companies that had failed to win the bid but insisted that the selected contractor was still obliged to deliver a high-quality result and make every effort to ensure success.
Somsak explained that the bidding process had been expedited and conducted through a specific invitation method, as the Japanese government required Thailand to finalise a contractor by 31 October 2023.
“At that time, we had fewer than 40 days left after the second round of bidding was cancelled,” he said.
He added that it would be impossible for the Public Health Ministry to cancel the remaining payments entirely, as the contractor is also responsible for dismantling the pavilion after the expo.
“Anyway, we’ll have to see what we can do—rather than doing nothing,” Somsak said, in response to a question about whether the company would be fined if the work was found to be below standard.
AloJapan.com