Court orders BMA to pay 11bn baht debt to Green Line operator BTSC

Central Administrative Court ruling

The Central Administrative Court on Monday ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its enterprise, Krung Thep Thanakom Co Ltd, to pay 11 billion baht owed to Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Company Limited (BTSC).

The court ruled that the BMA and Krung Thep Thanakom must honour their contract and settle the 11 billion baht debt for hiring BTSC to operate and maintain the first and second extensions of the Green Line between June 2021 and October 2022. Payment, including accrued interest, must be made within 180 days of the ruling.

BMA weighs appeal options

BMA executives have yet to consult Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt and senior officials on whether to appeal. They noted that an appeal could lead to a higher interest burden if the court ruling is upheld.

In August, BTSC CEO Surapong Laoha-Unya revealed that despite a previous Supreme Administrative Court ruling leading to a 37 billion baht repayment, the BMA still owes further operations and maintenance (O&M) fees for the Green Line extensions.

Breakdown of outstanding debts

According to Surapong, the remaining debt is divided into three portions:

• Second portion: O&M fees from June 2021 to October 2022, totalling 12.61 billion baht (10.13 billion in principal and 2.48 billion in interest). This differs from the court’s ruling on Monday due to interest calculations.
• Third portion: O&M fees from November 2021 to December 2024, totalling 17.60 billion baht (15.76 billion in principal and 1.83 billion in interest).
• Final portion: O&M fees from January to May 2025, totalling 3.70 billion baht (3.65 billion in principal and 46.78 million in interest).

BMA governor’s cautious approach

Because the current BMA administration did not sign the original contract, the current BMA governor appears to be awaiting court orders before making payments. This approach is seen as a safeguard against possible lawsuits in the future.