Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS), Thailand’s largest mobile operator in terms of subscriptions, has petitioned the Central Administrative Court to revoke the regulator’s approval of the planned merger between second-placed True Corp and third-placed Digital Total Access Communication (DTAC). According to the Bangkok Post, which cites an unnamed industry source, the petition was filed by AIS subsidiary Advanced Wireless Network (AWN) on 11 November. AWN also requested the court issue an injunction to the planned merger, pending the court’s ruling.
On 10 November, the article adds, the Thailand Consumer Council also petitioned the Central Administrative Court to repeal the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC’s) resolution, arguing that a merger would lead to market control and unfair competition, and alleging the voting process was illegitimate.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, in November 2021 True Corp and DTAC agreed to merge their operations as they seek to topple AIS and create a new market leader. On 20 October 2022 NBTC board ’s voted three against two to take the position that it had no authority to approve or reject the planned merger, before issuing remedy measures. Thai agribusiness conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group controls True Corp, while Norwegian telco Telenor is DTAC’s largest shareholder. When completed, the enlarged MNO is likely to be worth an estimated USD8.6 billion.