Health service support dept denies favouritism in pavilion deal

The Department of Health Service Support on Friday denied allegations of favouring a contractor in the organisation of Thailand’s Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai.

The denial follows growing public and media scrutiny of the Thailand Pavilion, a parallel exhibition running alongside the main event in Japan, which is open until October 13 this year. Criticism has centred on the quality of Thailand’s presentation and the overall value for money of hosting the exhibition.

One of the key concerns raised is whether the department gave preferential treatment to the contractor Joint Venture RMA110. This joint venture comprises three companies: Right Man, Architects 49, and Architects 110.

Suspicions arose after it was revealed that Right Man had been invited by the department to attend preparatory meetings to develop the pavilion's theme. Critics argue that this may have provided the company with an unfair advantage by allowing access to key information before the official bidding process began.

Further concerns stem from the fact that a senior executive from Architects 49 was also a member of the working committee responsible for the architectural planning and concept development of the pavilion building. This raised questions about potential access to privileged information during the bidding process.In response to the allegations, Dr Kornkrit Limsommut, deputy director-general of the Department of Health Service Support, emphasised the department’s commitment to transparency. 

He explained that Right Man’s participation in the initial meetings was due to the department’s lack of experience in organising world-class exhibitions such as the World Expo.

"It was necessary to seek input and recommendations from both public and private sectors to ensure Thailand’s participation would be dignified and reflective of the country’s unique identity and charm on the global stage," Kornkrit said.

He stressed that no conceptual designs or specific details from the meetings were used as criteria in the subsequent procurement process. Instead, the department followed guidelines and recommendations set by the subcommittee overseeing the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai project, which includes several government agencies.


Addressing the involvement of Architects 49, Dr Kornkrit clarified that the department had held professional consultations with architects and engineers to inform the planning process. 

However, according to the official proposal submitted by Joint Venture RMA110, the joint contract was entered into by only two companies: Right Man and Architects 110.

“Architects 49 is not part of the joint venture,” he said. “Furthermore, the department submitted a comparison of the project working committee members and the scope of work for the contract to the Comptroller General's Department, for review in the event of an appeal against the bidding results.”

The Comptroller General's Department subsequently approved the department's procurement decision, allowing the project to proceed, he added.

(2025/04/25-00:00)