Narathiwat Airport terminal construction faces major delay
The construction of a new passenger terminal at Narathiwat Airport, overseen by a major Chinese firm, has reportedly fallen more than 60% behind schedule. The project, valued at 639 million baht (US$18.6 million), is facing significant delays, as revealed by Deputy Transport Minister Monporn Charoensri.
The contract, awarded to China Railway Number 10, initially covered the period from March 15, 2022 to January 16, 2025. However, severe flooding in Narathiwat province in late 2024 led to an extension.
Despite this concession, by February 2025, construction progress stood at a mere 0.64%, amounting to an overall delay of 61.27%.
This prompted the Department of Airports to summon the contractor for a meeting on March 4, with a warning that failure to progress by at least 5% monthly over the next two months would lead to contract termination and the company being blacklisted for breach of contract.
In March, progress further stalled at just 0.51%, meaning overall completion reached only 39.24%, a delay of 60.76% or 631 days. The Department of Airports issued a follow-up warning for April 2025.
Should the contractor fail to meet the required progress, the contract will be terminated, and the company will be officially marked for abandoning the project, reported KhaoSod.
In similar news, concerns have arisen over the safety of a new outpatient building under construction at Songkhla Hospital, heightened by the involvement of a Chinese company previously linked to a building collapse.
The 426-million-baht project, overseen by China Railway No. 10, is under scrutiny due to the company’s connection to the tragic collapse of the Office of the Auditor General building following the March 28 earthquake.
Images of the ongoing construction at Songkhla Hospital, circulating widely on social media, have heightened public concern due to the company’s past incidents.
Many are now questioning whether proper safety standards are being upheld, especially in light of the previous collapse that cast doubt on the firm’s reliability.
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