U.S. to design Thai airport

U.S. to design Thai airport

BANGKOK (AFP): A consortium of U.S. companies has won a contract to design the terminal of a US$3.8-billion airport here which Thailand wants built before the end of the century, officials said yesterday.

TAMS/Murphy-Jahn won the rights Monday with a bid of $31.68 million, coming in under an offer by European rival Aeroports de Paris/Overup of $33.4 million, an officer with the Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT) said.

The contract commissions a complete blueprint of the central terminal for Bangkok's second international airport, from pilings to vending machines. Construction of the foundations is to begin in 14 months.

"We have to start work now," said Songkram Somboon, director of ACT Consultants which represented the TAMS/Murphy-Jahn group. "We'll have a team here before the end of the week."