According to the MP Chalermpong, residents have complained that the site remains unusable for recreation or jogging, with incomplete construction posing a safety risk to tourists.
“The project has dragged on for far too long,” MP Chalermpong stated in his post, explaining that the makeover was initially proposed in response to local complaints.
The B66 million landscaping and bike path project at Nai Harn Lake was set for completion by early February. The project, in total 1,973 meters long, was supposed to see parking spaces made available alongside the park beside the lake as well as a bike lane and the installation of solar-powered street lights.
The contract, with developer Sasivarai Construction for precisely B66,600,000, was initially agreed to on May 7 last year, with 515 days allowed to complete the works.
However, due to delays in the official bidding process, the completion date was pushed back to Feb 10, 2025.
Yet the project has since been abandoned by the developer Sasivarai Construction, leading to more complaints, and the followup by MP Chalermpong.
FRACAS
The post by MP Chalermpong quickly drew attention, especially after Opas Chobdee, Chairman of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) Council, commented with the word “Suek” ‒ a Thai term meaning “obtrusive” or “nosy.” The remark prompted swift backlash online.
MP Thitikan, soon criticising Opas’s response, said, “Our tax money, which we should help each other inspect and protect according to our duties, has been attacked like this. Do you have any suspicious intentions?
“I would like to ask Rewat Areerob, President of the PPAO, to train your team’s manners,” he posted.
PPAO President Rewat defended the MPs’ right to question the project’s progress, and called Opas’s reaction as “stupid” ‒ keeping in mind that Mr Opas is Chairman of the PPAO Council.
“Opas’s crazy. How can you say that to an MP? He has the right to investigate,” Mr Rewat told The Phuket News.
“I will certainly talk to him about this,” he added.
Mr Rewat is fully aware of the role of a Phuket MP. He represented Phuket as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for two terms.
For his second term, in 2011 he won the seat for Phuket MP District 2, alongside Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr, with both representing the Democrat Party.
FAILED FUNDS
Mr Rewat clarified that the previous contract, awarded through the Government Procurement E-bidding process, was valued at B66mn ‒ below the project’s allocated budget of B72mn.
“Even though there is a median price, the government’s E-bidding system prioritises the lowest bid,” Mr Rewat said.
Mr Rewat declined to explain as to why the B66mn contract was approved, even though the PPAO already knew it was not enough to complete the project.
“The Sasivarai Construction won the bid by undercutting others by B6mn, but after construction began they ran out of budget and they couldn’t continue, leading to a complete halt in progress,” he said.
Mr Rewat also explained to The Phuket News that he had deep concerns that Sasivarai Construction may sue for its contract being cancelled.
If Sasivarai Construction decides to sue, the PPAO could potentially lose the case, he said.
The contract was officially terminated on Apr 8, the PPAO has since announced in a public statement.
The relevant documents have been sent to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance “for consideration [of Sasivarai Construction] as a job abandoner”, the public statement added.
“Sasivarai Construction has received only B7-8 mn from the PPAO,” Mr Rewat said. “They worked only one week and then stopped - so we stopped payment because we were not confident they would continue
“Fortunately, since no further payments were made, most of the budget remains intact to be used to pay for a new contractor,” he added.
NEW CONTRACT
Mr Rewat assured that the PPAO aims to select a “qualified contractor who can complete the project properly.”
“I expect the revamped project will be completed by early January 2026,” Mr Rewat pledged.
“E-bidding for the new contract will open on May 1, and will remain open for bids for one month,” he said.
Under the Terms of Reference (TOR) in the new contract to open for bids is that the project budget is estimated to cost, on average, about B73,994,975.03
The contract does not stipulate an actual start date, but the duration of the work is to be 518 days.
The bidder must have construction work of the same type as the construction work bid for no less than B30 million and the work is a direct contract with “a government agency or a private agency that the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation trusts”.
Once bids close on May 30, the successful bid is to be selected within seven days, and the contract with the PPAO must be signed within seven days from the date of notification.
The full Terms of Reference (TOR) and project details for the new contract are listed on the PPAO website at https://phuketpao.go.th/news/detail/89095