The Parliament's Expensive Legacy Revisited
Parliamentary Car Park Design Bill faces scrutiny from Opposition over B105 million cost
In the midst of debates, the opposition People's Party sheds light on another costly parliament project: a car park construction.
The Car Park Issue: A Closer Look
Parit Wacharasindhu, a People's Party MP, has raised concerns about the 104.5-million-baht project, as announced by Aphat Sukkhanant, the House secretary-general. According to sources, this underground car park building will be 13 meters deep, house up to 4,600 vehicles, and accommodate at least 19 buses.
Furthermore, the ground level area will include office buildings and utility systems. As of now, negotiations for a budget allocation of 1.53 billion baht from fiscal 2026 are underway, with deliberations scheduled on May 28-30.
A Glance at the Controversial Renovation Proposals
Criticism also mounts as parliament requests an additional billion baht for renovations, despite the new chambers having opened just a year ago. Among the contentious proposals are requests for refurbishing parliament's Sala Kaeo (Crystal Pavilion) for 113 million baht and installing a 4D cinema for 180 million baht.
Additional requests include upgrading the lighting in seminar rooms (118 million baht), refurbishing the kitchen area and converting part of it into a recreation room (117 million baht), and upgrading parliament's 1,500-seat conference room's sound and video systems (99 million baht).
Want more insights on this topic? I can scour official sources for detailed breakdowns and updates on this parliament project.
The Parliament's Costly Legacy Redux
The planned renovation of Thailand's Parliament complex (2021-2028) is a significant infrastructure initiative with various components—the controversial car park project being one of them. This article specifically delves into the costly car park construction, aiming to provide a fresh perspective on the ongoing controversy surrounding the parliament's renovation proposals and budget allocations.
- The costly car park project, a subject of heated deliberations in the Parliament, is projected to cost 104.5 million baht, according to House secretary-general, Aphat Sukkhanant.
- The People's Party MP, Parit Wacharasindhu, has expressed concerns about the car park project's budget, as negotiations for a 1.53 billion baht allocation from fiscal 2026 are underway.
- The car park building, scheduled for May 28-30 deliberations, will be 13 meters deep, have space for 4,600 vehicles, and accommodate at least 19 buses, including office buildings and utility systems on the ground level.
- As the budget for the overall parliament renovation (2021-2028) faces scrutiny, mounting criticism arises as parliament requests an additional billion baht for renovations, including a 4D cinema and refurbishing the Sala Kaeo (Crystal Pavilion)—topics of ongoing policy-and-legislation discussions and general news within the realm of Thai politics.
