The Central Administrative Court made a significant ruling on Monday, September 18th, overturning a prior directive that had mandated the Ministry of Transport and the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to pay a staggering 24 billion baht in damages to Hopewell Company Limited. This verdict hinged upon the application of the “statute of limitations” as its legal foundation.
In a public announcement on Facebook, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, celebrated Thailand’s legal triumph in the Hopewell case.
The original lawsuit had originally demanded a colossal sum of 56 billion baht from the Ministry of Transport and SRT as compensation for the cancellation of their contract with Hopewell Holdings.
The latest decision comes in response to the directives for case reevaluation issued by the Supreme Administrative Court on March 4th, 2022.
Initiated in 1990 with the ambitious goal of mitigating traffic congestion through the establishment of elevated railways, the Hopewell Project encountered an array of challenges. These included construction delays, shifts in the political landscape, and protracted legal disputes. Ultimately, the project, awarded to Hong Kong-based Hopewell Company Limited, was canceled in 1998, igniting a protracted legal battle over the issue of compensation.
