Expensive parliament projects draw flak

Opposition MP spearheads probe into five costly renovation proposals, writes Aekarach Sattaburuth

- Aekarach Sattaburuth

Amid growing concerns about public spending and transparency, five key renovation projects within the parliament complex drew scrutiny during a House committee session on Thursday.

Spearheaded by Parit Wacharasindhu, an MP from the People's Party and chair of the House Committee on Political Development, Mass Communications, and Public Participation, the discussion focused on the rationale, legal grounds, and future value of these costly proposals. Below, the Bangkok Post examines the five headline projects, highlighting the core issues at stake.

1. CAR PARK WORTH B4.6BN

The most contentious project is a proposed new car park building, expected to cost a staggering 4.6 billion baht via a three-year budget. With an initial 1.5 billion baht earmarked in the fiscal 2026 budget, the budget is set to be deliberated in parliament from May 28-30.

Mr Parit asked whether the current car park's capacity — 1,935 spaces — was genuinely insufficient and who should be held accountable for this project.

Arun Laiphongphaew, Director of the Parliament Security Office, responded that when the original project was proposed, it was under the Security Office. Later, a new building management unit was created and took over responsibility for the project. A subcommittee was set up to solve the parking shortage.

The car park needs expansion because a Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) regulation mandates one parking space per 120 square metres (m²). Parliament has 420,000m² of usable space, so it should have at least 3,500 car park spaces. At present, it falls short by 1,500 spaces to meet the legal requirement.

He said a study suggested building underground parking on the 21-rai plot in front of the parliament complex. An 11-metre-deep structure would increase capacity by 4,600 spaces.