The Democrat Party is scrutinising more than 40 projects related to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport for suspected irregularities, deputy party leader Alongkorn Pollabutr said yesterday.

The projects in question had been expedited suspiciously over the past few months, leading to the party to believe that certain well-connected bidders might have been favoured, Alongkorn said during a press conference at the Democrat Party headquarters.

He said a "special, fast-track" method of bidding, which is vulnerable to irregularities, might have been adopted to ensure that the projects were completed in time for the new airport's scheduled opening in a few months' time.

Alongkorn said the Democrat working group against corruption found suspicious facts regarding the bidding for a contract worth more than Bt500 million to supply baggage trolleys for the new airport.

He said it was found that certain executives of Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT), which runs the new airport, had connections with the company that was awarded the deal.

The Democrat deputy leader urged the AOT board to look into the matter.

Alongkorn said the Democrat working group had received many complaints of irregularities involving the Suvarnabhumi Airport's construction.

The airport is scheduled to receive test flights late this month and to open in September.