Defending the Allocated Funds for Parliament Renovation

Rewritten Article:

It's time for a makeover in the parliamentary conference room, claims a Deputy House Speaker, as current committee expenditure on renting hotel rooms for seminars could be reduced significantly.

Paradorn Prissanananthakul's statement comes amidst criticism of an ambitious renovation proposal for the Sappaya-Sapasathan building, which encompasses a whopping 1.2 billion baht budget for fiscal 2026.

He tallys three projects under his supervision:

A library and parliamentary museum reconstruction, priced at 120 million baht.
A sound system upgrade for the 1,500-seat conference room, estimated to cost 99 million baht.
Various other enhancements, details omitted for brevity.

"Every penny spent will be worth it," Paradorn assured. He added that he will personally oversee the entire process.

For the museum, his vision is to create a space that spotlights parliament's history and strengthens public education. He mentioned that 5,000 to 6,000 square meters are earmarked for this purpose.

Critics labeled the museum space as a "burial chamber" beneath the building. In response, Paradorn conceded that the area is currently an unused and uninteresting space. However, he has assigned a design team to convert it into an engaging museum. "Frankly, I'd rather not see a tomb under parliament either," he stated.

Paradorn also stood his ground on renovating the conference hall, which is designed for use by House and Senate committees. The project was initially included in the plans but it never saw the light of day. Now, Paradorn intends to request a budget to move forward with the renovations, instead of letting it sit idle, given that committees are currently spending money to rent out hotel venues for their seminars.

Initially, the budget was estimated at 160-170 million baht, but it has already been trimmed down to 99 million baht.

The 2026 budget bill is still in its draft phase and will be presented for parliamentary review later this month. A committee of MPs and experts will assess the plans in detail. If any project is deemed unnecessary, cuts can be made, Paradorn explained, emphasizing that the budget has not been finalized yet.

When asked about the need for a five-year-old building to undergo major renovations, Paradorn explained that certain areas can be better utilized and others remain incomplete, necessitating their completion. He also clarified that the budget is not for repairs but for extensions.

The building's construction warranty is still valid, but the budget is not directed towards repairs, Paradorn added. He also explained that certain parts of the building are not yet completed and will require subsequent work.

Deputy Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, has also supported the renovations, given the daily usage of the building by thousands of people, according to local media reports.

The Sappaya-Sapasathan building was constructed by Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc, a company connected to the Charnvirakul family, although Anutin no longer has any ties to the company. The construction contract was awarded in 2013, and the building opened in August 2019 for parliamentary meetings, but it wasn't formally handed over to the government until July 2024.

Since the building's debut, there have been numerous complaints, including leaking roofs, faulty water pipes, and instances where materials not specified in the contracts were used.

The Deputy House Speaker, Paradorn Prissanananthakul, proposes to reduce expenditure on renting hotel rooms for seminars, suggesting that the general-news of committee expenditure could be better allocated towards a more cost-effective venue within the Sappaya-Sapasathan building, yet he is also advocating for renovations to certain areas of the building.
In the midst of controversy surrounding the ambitious renovation proposal for Sappaya-Sapasathan building, worth 1.2 billion baht for fiscal 2026, and critics labeling the museum space as a "burial chamber," Paradorn Prissanananthakul, who supervises three projects within the building, finds it necessary to renovate the conference hall to encourage better utilization of space, as committees are currently spending funds on renting hotel venues for their seminars.