Thai Government Tightens Contractor Penalties with New Regulation

On 27 July 2023 the Thai government published a new ministerial regulation in the Royal Gazette (vol. 143, part 44) signed by Finance Minister Ek Niti Niti Thapras. The regulation expands the definition of “abandonment of work” to include any construction‑contractor action that causes serious danger to life, bodily injury or property, phrased as “causing danger to life, body or property of the public”.

The change allows authorities to immediately cancel contracts and blacklist contractors through the “Contractor Pocket Book” scoring system when a severe construction accident occurs. Deputy spokesperson Ploy Thale Laksamee said the measure gives the state a decisive legal tool to protect public safety and enforce penalties on private firms.