Prices soar in bid to harvest birds’ nests
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\n\u00a0ecologyasia.com\/news\/bangkokpost
\nConcession revenues could hit B1.5bn<\/p>\n
Amnart Thongdee<\/p>\n
Prices for concessions to harvest swallows’ nests in Chumphon soared on the second day of bidding with a high bid of 228 million baht at the provincial administration centre.<\/p>\n
Bids for five concessions to collect the culinary delicacies were expected to raise 1,500 million baht by the end of the process on May 30.<\/p>\n
Seven companies bid yesterday for the second concession contract in tambon Pak Nam administration, which has four swallows’ nest islands.<\/p>\n
Golden State made the highest bid of 228 million baht above a median of 28 million baht.<\/p>\n
Other bidders include B.Y Business Co (143 million baht), Southern Andaman (133.5 million), Saikaew Thurakij (130 million), Ruamphon Panit (88.4 million), Siam Nest (79 million), and Piyayotha Construction (61 million).<\/p>\n
Highest bidder Golden State is a Bangkok-based firm thought to have close ties with several Democrat MPs.<\/p>\n
On the first day of bidding B.Y Business snapped up the first concession to harvest nests in tambon Hatsairee administration organisation with the top bid of 221 million baht.<\/p>\n
More than 100 police supervised the bidding to prevent collusion among bidders. Rivalry for contracts is intense and those holding concessions have been known to shoot trespassers to protect the valuable nests.<\/p>\n
Chumphon governor Mekhin Methavikul said collusion was unlikely given the wide difference in bids.<\/p>\n
Officials said three committees chaired by a deputy governor would handle the bidding process.<\/p>\n
Rang Nok Laem Thong (Siam) manager Police Major-General Prasit Ngamkhamprom said the division of bird’s nest concessions would not affect the company’s business.<\/p>\n
He said the company was a long-time concessionaire on 22 islands in the four provinces and had held the concession in Chumphon for more than 60 years.<\/p>\n
Maj-Gen Prasit said the company would bid for three contracts in tambon Hatsairee, tambon Pak Khlong and the provincial administration organisation. Concession duties for the five contracts would probably exceed one billion baht.<\/p>\n
Twenty-one firms had expressed an interest in bidding for the Hatsairee bird’s nest concession _ eight were based in Chumphon, six in Bangkok, two in Trang and one each in Phuket, Ratchaburi, Phang Nga, Songkhla and Prachuab Khiri Khan.<\/p>\n
The bidding panel has set median prices for the five concessions totalling 281.1 million baht. It is expected, however, that bidding for all concessions could reach more than 1.5 billion baht.<\/p>\n
\u00a9 Copyright The Post Publishing Public Co.,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Prices soar in bid to harvest birds’ nests \u00a0ecologyasia.com\/news\/bangkokpost Concession revenues could hit B1.5bn Amnart Thongdee Prices for concessions to harvest swallows’ nests in Chumphon soared on the second day of bidding with a high bid of 228 million baht at the provincial administration centre. Bids for five concessions to collect the culinary delicacies were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[413],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n