The planned e-auction set for yesterday on the second phase of the One Tablet per Child scheme has been put off until next Friday after a potential bidder appealed to halt the bidding because it failed in the technical round.
Haier of China filed an appeal on Wednesday with the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), seeking the state to review its disqualification for the first region bidding, said a highly placed source on the One Tablet per Child committee.
Obec on Monday announced a list of qualified bidders that passed the technical round to supply 1.63 million tablets worth 4.61 billion baht.
The median price for Prathom 1 tablets is set at 2,720 baht each, while the price for the Mathayom 1 tablet is 2,920 baht.
Obec will hold a single-day auction by inviting bids for eight contracts in all four regions.
Supreme Distribution, Shenzhen Yitoa and Shenzhen Scope were the three qualified bidders for the first region, covering central Thailand and the southern provinces, with 431,105 tablets for Prathom 1 students.
Shenzhen Yitoa, Supreme Distribution, Haier and Thai Transmission were the four qualified bidders for the second region, which covers the North and Northeast, with 373,637 tablets for Prathom 1 students.
Supreme Distribution and SVOA qualified for the third region, covering central and southern areas, with 426,683 tablets for Mathayom 1 students.
Yitoa was the only company that qualified for the fourth region, covering the North and Northeast, with 402,889 tablets for Mathayom 1 students.
The source said Haier tablets failed to meet Obec drop tests.
Under the terms of reference, tablets of qualified bidders must resist impact up to heights of 80 centimetres without fracturing or losing service.
Haier tablets passed the drop test for the second region but failed for the first region. The drop tests were performed by Haier representatives.
The firm insisted that even though some of its tablets broke following a drop, the devices were still operational, said the source.
Each bidder is required to provide six tablets for testing in each region it wishes to service.
An industry source added the median price of the tablets was set too low, limiting bidders to non-brand and Chinese firms.