Lawyer An Calls for Probe into Buriram 450-Million-Baht Road Project

On September 30, 2069 (2569 BE), lawyer An, whose full name is Phattharaphong Suphakorn, delivered a petition to Ms. Ratchanakorn Srinok, a party-list MP for the People's Party and chair of the House Committee on Budget Study and Oversight, asking for an examination of the bidding process for Road No. 288 in Buriram province. The road is 2.8 kilometres long and has a budget of 450 million baht, and An suspects possible corruption or collusive bidding. He explained that he first sought documents on April 20 and followed up on May 22, after which the responsible agency shelved the project due to lack of bidders. However, amid political turmoil the project was revived, bidding reopened and a winner has already been selected, with the winner's name pending announcement. Committee chair Ratchanakorn questioned why such a short road requires such a large budget, especially after the first bidding round failed, and whether there is any urgent necessity for the project. She said she would bring the matter to the committee for review, noting that Buriram leads the country in road construction, often rebuilding and building new roads with excessive lanes, which wastes resources that could be allocated to other provinces. She urged Buriram residents to understand that the goal is not to cut the province's budget or hinder its development, but to ensure that the province is not receiving more than its fair share at the expense of neighboring provinces that also need roads and basic utilities. When asked whether local politicians are involved, An said the project is funded by the central budget under the Department of Highways and suggested contacting Mr. Pipat for further details.