Senators oppose 956 million baht parliament renovation budget
Doubts raised over nearly billion-baht budget for parliament overhaul
A group of 30 senators has voiced their opposition to a proposed 956 million baht budget intended for renovations at the new parliament complex, arguing that the expenditure is excessive, poorly prioritised, and not serving the public interest.
Senator Nantana Nantavaropas spearheaded the objections during a press conference yesterday, May 8, criticising the renovation plan. She pointed out the building’s considerable structural issues, including leaking walls, collapsed ceilings, mould-covered columns, and faulty air-conditioning systems, despite its four-year usage.
These problems persist even though the project is still under warranty, raising concerns about contractor accountability, especially given the building’s original construction cost of 22 billion baht (US$666 million).
Senator Nantana also criticised the building’s confusing layout and inadequate signage, suggesting visitors need intuition to navigate the premises. She noted that none of the proposed budget would address these current defects but would instead fund 10 unrelated projects, which she labelled as unnecessary.
Proposed renovations include refurbishing the unused Parliamentary Museum, installing a 4D cinema, and upgrading lighting in seminar rooms. A contentious item is the plan to install air-conditioning units in the Sala Kaeo (Crystal Pavilion), which, according to Senator Nantana, would significantly increase electricity costs.
Additionally, she mentioned five more projects lacking formal approval, such as a new parking structure estimated at 4.6 billion baht (US$139 million), with an average cost of 1 million baht (US$30,270) per parking space.
Parliament renovation
Senator Nantana argued that while the parliament building currently does not meet Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s minimum parking requirements, the scale and cost of the new project are excessive. She stated, “These projects seem aimed at enhancing the comfort of parliamentarians, rather than addressing public needs. We will use every possible channel to block this wasteful spending.”
Chatree Ladalalitsakul, the chief architect of the parliament building, has also expressed opposition to the plan to fill in the building’s Emerald Pool, a significant architectural feature designed to cool the structure naturally. In a letter to parliament, he warned that replacing the pool with a public library and shops would compromise the building’s energy efficiency and ventilation system, reported KhaoSod.
The building was designed to be energy-efficient, featuring ventilation openings to allow air to flow through naturally from all directions. Chatree stated, “If the pond is filled in to build a library, the entire area would need to be air-conditioned. I can’t even imagine the budget required for air-conditioning and sealing off all the openings in a 10-storey open space.”
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