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Published on July 14, 2007

The project is only 60 per cent finished, and Sino-Thai has asked for an extra 500 days from the original delivery date.

The Transport Ministry has set up a committee to study the contract amendment, extension of construction period and penalties for the delay.

A ministry source said yesterday after the committee's meeting, chaired by deputy permanent secretary Surachai Tharnsithipong, that a conclusion could not be reached on those issues by Sunday, which is the deadline demanded by Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um.

Progress on the Airport Rail Link project has been impeded by the State Railway of Thailand's (SRT) tardiness in transferring parcels of land surrounding the link's construction site to Sino-Thai.

The source said that according to the contract the contractor would have to complete civil-engineering work by August 7.

But SRT chairman Siva Saengmanee found overall construction was only 65.67 per cent done when he visited the site on Wednesday.

Work which was Sino-Thai's responsibility was 56.42 per cent done.

A market-watcher said 600 more days would be needed to complete construction.

A Sino-Thai source said the company might incur even more overheads during the extension period.

The company, in the event the fine is waived, will sustain a loss of Bt2 billion-Bt3 billion, the source said.

According to the contract, Sino-Thai's partners, B Grimm and Siemens, are not liable to a fine on project delays.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation