Deputy Finance Minister Santi Prompat says he has told the Comptroller-General's Department to study regulations on state procurement to ensure transparency in the wake of a row over the Charoen Pokphand Group (CP)-led consortium's bid for the 290-billion-baht Airport City project.
Mr Santi said on Thursday that the study is aimed at improving the regulations in order to keep up with changing circumstances.
He said last week's Supreme Administrative Court ruling clearing the way for the CP-led consortium's bid was not a case of double standards.
On Jan 10, the Supreme Administrative Court ordered the Royal Thai Navy to accept the consortium's bid for the 290-billion-baht Eastern Airport City Project, overruling the Administrative Court.
The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the bidding contest would better serve the national interest if it included the CP consortium's tender in addition to those of its two rivals.
Representatives of the consortium had begun filing documents within the set deadline, as rules required, and the nine-minute delay in submitting the consortium's technical, financial and business plan documents would not cause any significant advantages or disadvantages for the other contenders, the court ruled.
The Eastern Economic Corridor Office had also accepted the consortium's participation in the bidding contest, officially concluded at 3pm on March 21, 2019.
The Administrative Court had earlier supported the navy's rejection of the consortium's bid last August. The 290-billion-baht project is part of the development of U-Tapao airport, which is operated by the navy.
The CP-led consortium comprises Thana Holding under CP, Italian-Thai Development Plc, Ch Karnchang Plc, B Grimm Joint Ventures Holding Co and Orient Success International Co.
The other two bidders are the BBS consortium comprising Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc, Bangkok Airways Plc and BTS Group Holdings Plc; and the Grand Consortium consisting of Grande Asset Hotel and Property, Asia Aviation (jointly owned by Thai AirAsia) and Christiani & Nielsen (Thai) Plc.