Leaky billion-baht Thai Parliament building sparks repair scandal
Watchdog slams lavish budgets as cracks, leaks and scandals plague the pride of Thai politics
Thailand’s glitzy new Parliament building may be one of the most expensive in the country’s history but five years after opening, it’s already falling apart, and taxpayers are footing the bill – again.
The Thai Parliament Complex, officially named Sappaya-Saphasathan, has cost an eye-watering 22.987 billion baht so far but the spending spree isn’t over. Repair budgets totalling nearly 2 billion baht are already in motion, prompting outrage from critics who say the government is “fixing what should never have been broken.”
Originally slated to cost 12 billion baht and be completed in 900 days, the project dragged on for more than a decade, riddled with delays, defects, and controversy. Since 2020, there have been at least five major water leaks, including one that flooded three lifts, each worth 2 million baht.
Wilas Janpitak, a former MP nicknamed “The Sappayasapasathan Watchdog,” isn’t letting the issue slide.
“There are unresolved issues from the original construction, yet instead of fixing them, new budgets are being proposed to replace faulty components entirely,” he told Khao Khon Kon Khao.
He says this “out with the old, in with the new” approach could benefit certain parties and not the public. His claims come amid 56 formal complaints to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), including allegations of fake wood, substandard materials, and construction deviations.
A glaring example? A 106-million-baht design budget for an underground car park, to be built in an area already riddled with over 100 leakage points. Wilas suspects the new project may conveniently allow contractors to dodge responsibility for fixing existing issues.
Another red flag: a 123-million-baht pavilion renovation. Wilas revealed the ceremonial pavilions used cheaper tiles and skipped structural beams entirely. Repairs underway since January have only patched over the problems.
Perhaps the most controversial plan is a 150-million-baht makeover to convert the Emerald Pool, a leaky feature on the first floor, into a library and co-working space. Wilas, a licensed pharmacist, blasted the justification that the pool attracts mosquitoes.
“Aedes mosquitoes don’t breed in dirty water. That claim is scientifically nonsense.”
He warns that filling in the pool could erase evidence of counterfeit wood used in the decking, letting contractors off the hook, reported The Nation.
With more than a billion baht already approved and more pending, critics say the so-called “Palace of Parliament” may be less about public service and more about profit.
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