Bangkok: SKK Trade Organization has officially canceled the announcement of the winner for the 2025 textbook printing project. The decision comes after the Comptroller General's Department ordered the cancellation due to incomplete competition, following a directive from the Minister of Education.
According to Thai News Agency, the Office of the Teachers and Educational Personnel Welfare Promotion Commission (TSC) had initiated an electronic bidding process on January 28, 2025, for printing 145 textbooks for the 2025 academic year, with a budget of 1,060 million baht. Wanchat Press (2020) Co., Ltd. was the sole bidder and was initially declared the winner on February 7, 2025. However, today, the TSC's trading organization announced the cancellation of the winner's announcement, signed by Mr. Disakul Kasemsawat, Deputy Secretary-General of the TSC, who is also the Acting Secretary-General.
The announcement specified that the sole bidder situation was deemed as an incomplete competition. The decision to cancel was influenced by letters from the Committee for the Consideration of Problems in Government Procurement and Supplies Management, dated July 23, 2019, and February 11, 2025. This led the SKKSC's trading organization to retract the previous announcement of the bid winner.
Reporters noted that on January 29, 2025, Mr. Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Deputy Minister of Education, had proposed actions following the discovery of the sole bidder issue. Pol. Gen. Phermpoon Chidchob, Minister of Education, instructed the cancellation of the bidding process to ensure transparency, highlighting issues within the government procurement system. It was also noted that the trading organization of the OEC had sought advice from the Comptroller General's Department regarding the single-bidder situation.
On February 7, 2025, an announcement signed by Mr. Phatthana Phatthanathawidon, Acting Director of the trading organization of the SSK, declared Wannachat Press (2020) Co., Ltd. as the bid winner. However, following the Comptroller General's Department letter on February 11, 2025, identifying the competition as incomplete, the SSK's trading organization subsequently decided to cancel the announcement.