Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (SET: ADVANC or AIS), Thailand’s leading mobile network operator, announced that the Supreme Administrative Court has dismissed a claim worth THB 1,223 million brought by state-owned National Telecom Public Company Limited (NT) against its subsidiary, Digital Phone Company Limited (DPC).
In a disclosure filed with the Stock Exchange of Thailand on Thursday, AIS said the court’s dismissal of Black Case No. 1651/2558 is final, closing out one of three related lawsuits that trace back to a decade-old dispute over telecom infrastructure fees.
The case originated in 2015, when NT — then operating under a different corporate structure — filed suit with the Central Administrative Court against both the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and DPC. NT sought compensation for DPC’s use of telecommunications equipment and network infrastructure during a transitional period mandated by NBTC rules protecting customers after the expiry of a concession.
The underlying concession dates back to an agreement between DPC and CAT Telecom Public Company Limited (CAT), NT’s predecessor, covering 1800 MHz mobile services. NT argued it was owed payment for the equipment and network usage spanning 16 September 2014 to 25 November 2015.
NT filed three separate cases over this period — Black Case Nos. 918/2558, 1651/2558, and 741/2559 — seeking a combined THB 3,202 million from DPC, plus 7.5% annual interest. The Central Administrative Court ruled against NT and dismissed all three cases in 2022, prompting NT to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court.
With Thursday’s decision, the Supreme Administrative Court has upheld the lower court’s dismissal in Case No. 1651/2558, meaning DPC will not be required to pay the associated THB 1,223 million claim. Because the ruling came from the Supreme Administrative Court, it is final and not subject to further appeal.
The remaining two cases — Nos. 918/2558 and 741/2559, together worth THB 1,979 million — are still pending before the Supreme Administrative Court.
