Two out of the four subcommittees set up by telecoms regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to assess the impact of the planned merger of True Corporation and Total Access Communication (DTAC) have voted against the deal, the Bangkok Post writes citing a source close to the regulator’s board. The law subcommittee voted 10-1 against the merger and the consumer protection panel voted 6-2 against the deal with two abstentions, the source said. True and DTAC submitted the notification of their planned merger to the NBTC on 25 January 2022, with the deal approved by their respective boards in February.
TeleGeography notes that DTAC and True Corp first agreed to combine their operations in November 2021. The initial merger plan was approved by their respective executive boards on 19 November, with the duo inking a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on 22 November for an equal partnership to form a new merged firm which will apply to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). The deal is worth an estimated USD8.6 billion.