The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) explains that the budget for EV garbage trucks is transparent, affirms that the TOR drafting has not yet begun, and laments that the Bangkok Metropolitan Council's budget cuts have caused a setback in the city's progress toward becoming a clean energy city.
On 16 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Pornprom Na S. Wikitset, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, addressed the issue of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council cutting the entire budget for the electric vehicle (EV) garbage truck project and allegations of TOR specification rigging. He stated that the current process is only the initial step—gathering price inquiry documents from the private sector to establish a budget framework. It is not the actual TOR draft for procurement. If the budget is approved, the next step will be carefully drafting a new TOR with input from all relevant sectors.
Regarding the TOR for the previous project, the BMA's Environment Department followed recommendations from the National Anti-Corruption Commission by involving six related ministries in the review process. The joint anti-corruption committee also participated in establishing a code of ethics, and multiple public hearings with the private sector were held to ensure maximum transparency.
Mr. Pornprom spoke about the impact of the budget cut, noting that the BMA must temporarily revert to leasing diesel-engine garbage trucks for another year. These vehicles not only emit pollution but also limit service provider options, causing Bangkok to miss the opportunity to be a clean energy model city and to forgo a cost-effective project. The EV garbage truck project, valued at 6 billion baht over five years, is expected to save up to 4 billion baht in energy costs, equating to only 21% of the actual paid cost, with the remainder available for other project developments. The BMA remains open to all opinions and is willing to provide explanations to foster accurate public understanding as it continues to promote Bangkok as a pollution-free city.