Defending Allocated Funds for Parliament Renovation
Renovation Planned for Parliamentary Conference Room Amid Criticism
The present parlimentary conference room needs an upgrade, as committees are currently shelling out money to rent hotel rooms for seminars, according to a deputy House speaker.
Paradorn Prissanananthakul, in response to criticism over a proposed budget of nearly 1.2 billion baht for renovating the Sappaya-Sapasathan building for fiscal 2026, said three projects fall under his oversight.
These projects include the renovation of the library and parliamentary museum, totaling 120 million baht, and the improvement of the sound system in the 1,500-seat conference room, costing 99 million baht.
"All of the expenditure will be worthwhile, and I will personally monitor the process," he said.
The renovation of the museum aims to create a space showcasing parliament's history and promoting public education. Over 5,000 to 6,000 square metres have already been designated for the museum.
The opposition MPs have previously described the museum space as a "burial chamber" beneath the building. Addressing this criticism, Paradorn agreed that the area is currently an empty and unused room. He stressed a need to transform it into a vibrant and accessible museum, stating that he doesn't want to see a tomb under parliament either.
Justifying the planned renovation of the conference hall, intended for use by House and Senate committees, Paradorn noted that it was included in the original plans but went unfinished. He emphasized the need for an allocation in the budget to proceed with the plan instead of letting it sit idle, especially considering that committees are now paying for hotel venues for seminars.
The initially proposed budget of 160-170 million baht has already been trimmed to 99 million baht. Parliamentary debate on the budget bill is scheduled for later this month, after which a committee of MPs and experts will assess the plans in detail. If deemed unnecessary, cuts can be made, assuring the public that the budget has not yet been finalized.
When pressed about the need for major work on a five-year-old building, Paradorn mentioned that some areas can be better utilized and that others remain incomplete, such as the conference hall. The building's construction warranty, he said, is irrelevant, as the requested budget is for extensions and improvements, not repairs.
Some parts of the building have not yet been completed and will need to be finished in subsequent phases. Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has also supported the renovations, acknowledging the heavy daily use of the building by thousands of people.
Despite the new building having opened only in August 2019, it has faced significant challenges, with numerous complaints of leaking roofs, faulty water pipes, and materials not meeting contract specifications[1][2][3].
- The parliamentary conference room renovation, aimed at reducing the need for committees to rent hotel rooms for seminars, is a part of the broader policy-and-legislation discourse in business and finance, as it involves public funding allocations.
- The proposed renovation of the parliamentary museum, intended to showcase parliament's history and promote public education, is a matter of general news, as it involves the transformation of an unused space into a vibrant educational facility, following criticism from opposition MPs.
