The multi-million US dollar project has been stymied by Hopewell's refusal to supply the government with detailed plans before work starts.

Hopewell claims it is not feasible to spend up to US$30 billion building 60 kilometres of roads and railways without considerable design work.

This worries the government, which fears clashes with Bangkok's two other urban rail networks (neither of which is under construction yet either).

Thai government transport planners say Hopewell will be given permission to start working on the more straightforward stages but will be required to submit more detailed design plans for problem areas.

''Mr Wu can say yes, yes, yes and agree to everything. But it really depends on Mr Wu when he actually starts work,'' said one transport planner.

Certain government officials still rue the day Hopewell was awarded such a large contract without the inclusion of penalty clauses for late completion.

Relations have been somewhat soured by the suspicion that Hopewell obtained the contract from a previous government without having more than a rough idea how it was going to undertake a task of such complexity.

Nevertheless, one member of the government's transport hierarchy said: ''I think Gordon Wu can still get the first stage finished within the scheduled three years; but only if he starts work very soon. Any more delay and we'll be running into trouble.'' One Bangkok-based investment analyst pointed out that such problems were to be expected now that traditional politicians were back in power.

''Under the last government of technocrats run by Anand Panyarachun it was possible to get things moving. Now the politicians are back they are demonstrating their unenviable talents for gumming up the works,'' he said.