The latest spectrum licence auction in Thailand has apparently only attracted two bidders: True Corporation and Advanced Info Service (AIS) – and they do not seem interested in all the spectrum on offer. So what happens now?

The Bangkok Post reports that AIS and True submitted bid proposals to regulator the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) along with bank guarantees of 10% of the reserve price of each spectrum band for which they plan to bid, as required by the auction rules, after the NBTC opened the one-day period to submit licence bid applications on Thursday.

The NBTC plans to auction four spectrum bands on 29 June: 850MHz, 1500MHz, 2100MHz and 2300MHz. However, reports suggest that AIS and True will be targeting only the 2100MHZ and 2300MHz bands 

For the 850MHz band two 2x5Mhz lots are available at a minimum  bid per lot of 7.738 billion baht (about US$235.8 million). For 2100 MHz, the three lots (each 2x5 MHz) require a minimum bid per lot of 4.5 billion baht (US$137.1 million). For 2300 MHz there are seven 10Mhz lots priced at a minimum per lot of 2.596 billion baht (US$79.1 million).

Finally 1500 MHz will need to attract a bid per 5MHz lot of at least 1.057 billion baht (US$32.2 million); there are 11 lots.

Following the application period, the NBTC will review applicants’ qualifications from 30 May to 5 June, then submit results to its own board for consideration. We can expect announcements between 6-13 June. Appeals can be filed from 16-18 June.

Qualified bidders will be announced on 19 June. A mock auction will then take place on 23 June, followed by the real thing on 29 June.

It’s not clear what will happen to the unsold spectrum. In addition, according to the Bangkok Post, a group led by the Thailand Consumer Council recently submitted a joint petition to the Central Administrative Court seeking to scrap the auction, claiming it could affect consumer interests and will lead to a market monopoly.