BANGKOK, Thailand – Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has explained the procedures behind the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s proposed 6-billion-baht five-year lease of 1,347 electric garbage trucks after the Bangkok City Council declined to approve the budget.
Chadchart said the proposal had followed the required budget procedures and that the absence of a final Terms of Reference (TOR) at the budget-request stage was in line with procurement rules. He explained that, when requesting a budget, the BMA uses reference prices obtained from suppliers to estimate the required budget framework. A committee to prepare the TOR is appointed only after the council approves the budget, followed by publication of the draft TOR for public comment.
The EV garbage truck project began in 2025, when the council approved its budget. The BMA subsequently appointed a committee to prepare the TOR and held several rounds of public consultation. However, delays in the process and the council’s decision not to extend the deadline meant the 2025 budget had to be cancelled. The BMA then sought to include the project again in the 2027 fiscal year.
For the 2027 proposal, the BMA published the previous draft TOR in advance for public consideration. Chadchart said additional specifications could be added, such as load cells.
“If someone says there is no TOR for 2027, that is correct, because the committee to prepare the TOR has not yet been appointed,” Chadchart said. He also explained earlier difficulties surrounding the transition from conventional fuel-powered garbage trucks to EVs. In a previous budget cycle, the National Anti-Corruption Commission raised concerns about changing the procurement format because the original budget had been based on fuel-powered vehicle prices.
The BMA cancelled that procurement and sought a temporary garbage truck arrangement. Officials also explored temporary EV trucks expected to cost around 20% less than conventional vehicles, but the arrangement could not be secured. The BMA subsequently returned to the previous fuel-powered truck operator. Chadchart said the city used benchmark prices in negotiations and managed to reduce the price by 30%, lowering the budget burden.
On staffing, Chadchart said outsourcing garbage collection should be introduced gradually. The BMA currently has around 7,000 waste collectors and 2,500 drivers, and outsourcing all operations at once could affect job security. The city therefore plans to reduce its existing workforce gradually through retirement while increasing the proportion of outsourced services. Chadchart said retaining BMA employees would also provide capacity for emergencies and other missions, while relying entirely on private operators could create risks if workers went on strike.
The proposed EV fleet would also require charging infrastructure. Chadchart said discussions had resulted in an arrangement for the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) to invest in and install the charging stations, meaning the BMA would not have to make the initial investment.
The MEA has the expertise to provide power supplies and backup systems, while the charging infrastructure could be used by all garbage trucks and potentially other BMA electric vehicles in the future, including street-cleaning and water trucks.
Chadchart said having the vehicle lessor build the charging stations could create duplicated investment because the proposed vehicle lease would run for only five years. If a new operator won the next contract, it could require another charging infrastructure investment. He stressed that the BMA respects the City Council’s decision and that the administration must continue discussions with council members before seeking budget approval again.
“The main objective is to have garbage trucks available to serve the public,” Chadchart said. “Whether they are fuel-powered or electric depends on the relevant authorities approving the proposal.” He added that the administration was not seeking a confrontation with the council and remained ready to provide information and work with all sides.
