BMA clears THB 37 billion Green Line debt; Remaining amount pending legal decisions
BMA spokesperson clarifies Green Line debt payments: 37 billion baht settled, over 37 billion baht still awaits court and anti-corruption rulings
Ekwaranyu Amrapal, spokesperson for the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), on Monday provided an update on the debt burden related to the operation and maintenance of the Green Line extension of the BTS Skytrain. The breakdown is as follows:
1. System installation debt (E&M) – Phase 2 extension:
BMA has already paid 23 billion baht to Krungthep Thanakom Co Ltd for the installation of the electrical and mechanical (E&M) systems. The payment was made using the 2024 supplemental budget, and ownership of the system has been officially transferred to BMA.
2. Operation and maintenance debt (O&M) – Phases 1 and 2 extensions:
This category is split into three parts:
- Part 1: The first lawsuit filed by BTS covers O&M services from Phase 1 (May 2019 – May 2021) and Phase 2 (April 2017 – May 2021), totaling 14.476 billion baht. BMA has paid this amount to the Legal Execution Department under the Administrative Court on December 26, 2024, following the Supreme Administrative Court’s ruling on July 26, 2024.
- Part 2: The second lawsuit from BTS concerns unpaid O&M services from June 2021 to October 2022, totaling 12.245 billion baht. This case is currently under review by the Administrative Court.
- Part 3: Additional debts estimated at around 25 billion baht, incurred after the second lawsuit, are under evaluation for payment. These are linked to a corruption case where the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has issued preliminary findings. Inquiries have been sent to both the NACC and the Office of the Attorney General, but no conclusion has been reached. Therefore, payment cannot yet be processed.
TS Skytrain Green Line, one of the city's major mass transit systems, was extended in two phases, and BMA contracted Krungthep Thanakom (its business arm) and BTS Group Holdings to handle system installation (E&M), train operations, and maintenance (O&M).
Over time, BMA accrued a massive debt—exceeding 74 billion baht—to BTS for unpaid services related to these extensions. The debt has been the subject of lawsuits, political debates, and legal scrutiny.
