According to a Thai News Service (TNS) report today, Airports of Thailand (AoT) is to ask Suvarnabhumi Airport duty free and commercial operator King Power International Group (KPIG) to remove certain obstacles related to its

duty free outlets which it claims pose safety hazards.

In a story picked up by TNS from an earlier Bangkok Post report, it quotes Suvarnabhumi Airport Director Serirat Prasutanond as saying that AoT will give KPIG 30 days to address some 20 areas it claims block fire escapes or toilets.

The move follows the well publicised ‘termination’ of KPIG's contracts at Suvarnabhumi Airport on March 22 for allegedly failing to meet the requirements of the Public-Private Joint Venture Act in relation to declared investment levels.

However, it would appear that no formal confirmation that AoT's course of action is legal has yet been forthcoming from the Office of the Attorney-General on the contract issue and KPIG has not commented.

Interestingly, the Bangkok Post adds that ‘a source’ claims that acting AoT President Kulya Pakakrong declined to sign the 30-day deadline order alone, for fear that she might be sued by KPIG. In the end the report claims that the deadline order was signed by all AoT board members.

Meanwhile, pressure appears to be building in the background as a result of the two-month delay on any word on the contracts from the Office of the Attorney-General. That there are talks going on in the background is certain, but what the outcome will be remains open to question for now.