Rising Costs of Thai Expo Pavilion Spark Controversy

Rising Costs of Thai Expo Pavilion Spark Controversy

Buckle Up, Here's the Scoop on That Huge Budget for Thailand's Expo Pavilion

Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin is jet-setting off to Japan on Wednesday to check out the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, despite critics grumbling that its whopping budget close to 1 billion baht is a bit excessive.

Onto the concerns about the project's financials, Mister Somsak stepped up on Tuesday to address the criticisms, stating he'll be accompanied by a gaggle of experts to assess if taxpayers are getting their due bang for their bucks.

He backed up his words, claiming that everything followed proper procedures, but if they uncover anything suspect, adjustments will be made, including possibly chopping the budget. So far, a hefty 60% of the funds have been doled out, with the remaining 40% still up in the air.

Now, what's causing the delays in contractor selection? Well, it boils down to meeting Japanese government deadlines and soaring construction costs that resulted in a need for Japanese contractors. Mister Somsak swore that if the project doesn't measure up, he won't sign off anymore payments.

"If the work is shoddy, the inspection committee will determine which sections of the unpaid funds can still be withheld," Mister Somsak declared.

Moving on, the minister admitted that the contractor was picked after three rounds of bidding, but he sure as hellfire emphasized that the selection process ain't the problem; it's the results that matter.

"It's essential that the chosen contractor delivers results that justify the investment," he said.

According to the contract, the Thailand Pavilion can be tweaked and updated throughout the event from April 13 to Oct 13 to align with the expo's central theme, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives".

Dr Kornkrit Limsommut, deputy director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, shed light on the budget of 867.88 million baht which was given the greenlight by the cabinet in March 2023.

In the first round of bidding, three companies failed to meet the requirement of having international event experience, so they scrapt it. A second bidding round was held, and Joint Venture RMA110 Co emerged victorious. However, a competing bidder protested, and the Comptroller General’s Department couldn't finalize approval in the legally mandated 90-day window. As a result, the decision got axed automatically.

With time ticking away, a third round of bidding wasn't reopened for new submissions. Instead, bids from the second round were reconsidered, with Joint Venture RMA110 Co reconfirming its offer and offering a discount of 70,000 baht to clinch the contract.

A Twist of Priorities?

Dr Chutinart Shinudomporn, a representative of the Thai Frontline Physicians Union, expressed her worries about the ministry's funding priorities.

She contended that the nearly 1-billion-baht budget would have been better spent reinforcing the country's healthcare system.

Dr Chutinart pointed out the prevalent personnel shortages and stagnant salaries plaguing the public health system, stating that a cool billion baht could support a massive army of frontline staff.

She added that the government's unrelenting encouragement of medical tourism has led hundreds of public healthcare professionals to abandon ship and head for greener pastures in better-paying private hospitals.

"This shift has left public hospitals critically understaffed, leading to longer waiting times for patients," she asserted.

Dr Chutinart pushed the government to consider the long-term impact on public healthcare, challenging whether the benefits of medical tourism truly compensate for the trade-offs that average Thai citizens bear.

1. Public Health Minister Somsak Thepsuthin is heading to Japan for an inspection of the funding for the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo 2025, expressing the need to ensure taxpayers are getting value for their money.
2. Somsak has admitted that the contractor for the pavilion was chosen after three rounds of bidding and emphasized results being the priority over the selection process.
3. Dr Kornkrit Limsommut, deputy director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, revealed that the budget of over 867 million baht was approved by the cabinet in March 2023.
4. Critics have questioned the expenses on the pavilion, with Dr Chutinart Shinudomporn, a representative of the Thai Frontline Physicians Union, stating that the funds could have been better allocated towards reinforcing the country’s healthcare system, focusing on personnel shortages and stagnant salaries.
5. The representative of the Thai Frontline Physicians Union added that the government's encouragement of medical tourism has resulted in many public healthcare professionals leaving for better-paying private hospitals, causing critical understaffing in public hospitals and longer waiting times for patients.

Read also: