Collusion on bidding prevents top companies from participating

Bangkok’s bus fleet procurement: why Scania, Volvo opt out – scandasia.com, December 15, 2014
[This article highlights the key way the bidding process is rigged in Thailand–the TOR is written to favor a certain party that has previously colluded with the bid writer to win the project.
It is common that the winner of a bid is the only company that could fulfill all the conditions–and this is according to plan.]
…Politicians, who had supervisory control over the financially-ailing Bangkok city bus agency, did not seem to be able to agree on the simple task of drawing up a coherent and clear-cut TOR to ensure a fair bidding process. A process that would produce winners capable of delivering brand new city buses which are cost-effective to operate, meet high environmental standards and provide comfort to passengers.
Not to mention the fact that dubious changes made during the drafting and subsequent multiple revisions made to the TOR also gave rise to widely-publicized allegations that the whole procurement process has been rigged in favour of certain manufacturers…