The Administrative Court has ruled that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and Krung Thep Thanakom Co Ltd must pay 11 billion baht to Bangkok Mass Transit System Public Co Ltd (BTS) for operating and maintaining the extended sections of the Green Line electric skytrain.
The ruling, issued on Monday, relates to unpaid operations and maintenance (O and M) fees for two extensions of the Green Line project between June 2021 and October 2022, totalling 11 billion baht, plus interest. The court ordered the payment to be made within 180 days from the final ruling date.
The BMA and Krung Thep Thanakom representatives stated they would consult with BMA executives on whether to appeal because doing so may result in higher interest payments.
Deputy Bangkok governor, Wisanu Subsompon, said the BMA respects the court’s decision. To settle the debt, it is seeking approval for a supplementary budget for the 2026 fiscal year, using part of its 51.66 billion baht in reserve funds. The total payment owed to the BTS is expected to be 32.62 billion baht, including accrued interest through November next year.
The budget allocation process involves several steps before the Bangkok governor gives his final approval, and the payment is expected to be made on Nov 18.
The debt includes 12.2 billion baht from the second lawsuit period (June 2021-October 2022), and another 17.1 billion baht accrued from November 2022 to December 2024. An additional 8.3 billion baht is expected for 2025 operations.
Once the debt is paid, the BMA will have approximately 19 billion baht left in reserve funds.