Former Democrat MP Chanchai Issarasenarak has petitioned the National Anti‑Corruption Commission (NACC) to investigate Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the cabinet and the board of Airports of Thailand (AoT) over amendments to duty‑free concession contracts that he claims caused up to 180 billion baht in losses to the state.
Mr Chanchai submitted the complaint on Friday, alleging possible violations of multiple laws linked to revisions to duty‑free agreements between AoT and a private concessionaire operating at major airports.
He said the NACC had previously issued recommendations to the cabinet on Nov 4, 2025, under Section 32 of the Organic Act on Counter Corruption, following a case study of contract amendments involving AoT.
The NACC warned that the changes could significantly reduce state revenue and promptly set out measures aimed at preventing potential misconduct.
According to information cited in the complaint, the original contracts were expected to generate more than 23.548 billion baht annually from six airports. After the amendments, projected revenue fell to about 5 billion baht a year, representing losses of roughly 18 billion baht annually, or about 180 billion baht over a decade.
Mr Chanchai said the cabinet acknowledged receipt of the NACC's recommendations on Dec 2, 2025, and assigned relevant agencies to review the matter. However, he said no report on the outcome was submitted to the NACC within the 90‑day period required by law.
He also alleged that the AoT board later approved extensions to the concession contracts, including a two‑year extension at Suvarnabhumi airport, without fully considering the NACC's recommendations or comprehensively reporting the decision to the cabinet.
AoT has said the amendments apply to duty‑free operations at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai airports. It said revising the contracts was preferable to terminating them and reopening bidding, a process estimated to take at least 14 months and risk disrupting services.
According to AoT, the revised terms are intended to ensure business continuity, maintain service standards and provide more stable revenue during the aviation sector's recovery.
