Thai Parliament complex built for 20 billion baht, seeks 1 billion baht repairs after 5 years
Uncovering irregularities in Thailand’s new Parliament: 5 years in use, 1B baht repair budget requested. A look back at the construction timeline of Sappayasapasathan
The Thai Parliament Complex, officially known as Sappayasaphasathan, has become a hot topic of public scrutiny.
Despite its recent completion at a staggering cost of 20 billion baht, repair budgets in the billions have already been requested, raising concerns over an unending cycle of construction and repairs.
Timeline of the New Parliament Complex Construction:
1992 – Initial concept and feasibility studies began
2008 – Design competition and planning process started
August 12, 2010 – Royal foundation stone-laying ceremony
April 2013 – Construction contract signed, initial budget of 12 billion baht
June 8, 2013 – First foundation pile driven
November 24, 2015 – Contract scheduled to end (within 900 days)
However, the project was far from complete when the original contract ended, resulting in at least four extensions—stretching the timeline until the end of 2020, with the total cost ballooning to 22.987 billion baht. This is over 10 times the cost of the now-demolished State Audit Office building.
Persistent Issues: Leaks and Repairs
Since the official handover, the building has suffered at least five major water leakage incidents:
August 13, 2020 – Ceiling leaks in multiple areas
September 1, 2020 – A Leak on the 7th floor floods an elevator
September 19, 2021 – Water leaks into the main hall on the 1st floor
October 14, 2021 – Leak in the Suriyan meeting room
March 3, 2022 – Burst water pipe on the 8th floor floods basement; 3 elevators damaged (each valued at 2 million baht)
2025: Billions More Requested for Repairs
Despite full operation for only five years, an additional 2 billion baht has been proposed for repairs and expansions:
956 million baht is already included in the draft 2026 national budget bill, approved by the Cabinet.
Another 1.817 billion baht is being requested by relevant agencies, but has not yet been allocated.
The opposition party, People’s Party, has raised serious concerns regarding the nearly 1-billion-baht budget proposal for FY2026 to repair and renovate parts of the Thai Parliament building. They argue that it is inappropriate to request such a large sum when the building has been in official use for just five years. In addition, they point out that more than 1 billion baht in pending repair budgets have yet to be approved.
However, closer scrutiny reveals that the actual timeline of the building’s usage is more ambiguous than publicly presented.
Key Information from Former MP Wilas Janpitak of the Democrat Party
Wilas, known for his persistent investigation into the Parliament project—earning the nickname “The Sappayasapasathan Watchdog”—shared his findings with Khao Khon Kon Khao, a local news program.
He argues that several unresolved issues from the original construction remain, yet new budgets are being sought while abandoning faulty components, effectively bypassing the need for repair by replacing them. This raises questions about whether the process benefits specific parties.
Irregularities in Construction
Ongoing Complaints with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC):
A total of 56 complaints have been filed regarding the Parliament’s construction. Allegations include design deviation, specification mismatches, defective materials, structural damage, and the use of fake wood instead of approved materials.
Unusual Contract Extensions:
Publicly, it’s believed the construction deadline was extended four times, ending on Dec 31, 2020, after which official usage began.
However, the contractor claimed an additional 827 days of Covid-related extensions, citing the government’s State of Emergency declaration (March 26, 2020 – June 30, 2022), all without penalties.
Wilas points out that part of this period—roughly 200 days—had already been granted in previous extensions and should not have been counted again.
This allowed the contractor to extend the deadline penalty-free until April 7, 2023.
Additionally, the contractor gained another 150-day extension from earlier government policies compensating construction firms affected by minimum wage hikes during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration.
As a result, the actual final completion date became September 4, 2023.
Despite design deviations in 24 construction items, the House Procurement Committee approved delivery retroactively to September 4, 2023.
A formal acceptance was signed on July 5, 2024, even though just days before the delivery, workers were still demolishing pavement inside the complex.
New Budget Requests That May Overlook Existing Problems:
Wilas warns of three major projects that deserve close scrutiny:
1. 106-Million-Baht Budget to Design an Underground Parking Lot (Excludes future construction cost of 1.5 billion baht or more)
The proposed lot would be built in an area that already suffers from persistent water leakage, especially Level B2, where over 100 seepage points have been documented.
If the construction proceeds, the original contractor may again benefit as they would no longer need to repair the original leaks—they’d simply be replaced by a new project.
Wilas questions: “Is this mutual favoritism?”
2. 123-Million-Baht Budget to Renovate the ‘Sala Kaew’ Pavilions
These two ceremonial pavilions, located on each wing of the Parliament building, were initially claimed to be for royal functions.
Wilas previously filed a complaint with the NACC about improper materials:
The stone tiles used are 40×40 cm, though the design specified 60×60 cm ‘Vithita Orange’ tiles, which are much more expensive.
The base structure lacks the reinforcing beams called for in the original design—stones were simply placed on the ground.
In January 2025, the concrete base of the surrounding pool cracked and lifted, causing leaks into Level B1.
Since January 15, 2025, repair work has been underway, but only spot repairs were conducted—not full restoration.
Wilas questions whether further leaks or structural failures are inevitable, as the foundation remains unreliable.
He argues that the 123-million-baht renovation isn’t just for air conditioning or minor upgrades but could be hiding unresolved structural issues. The real problems that need urgent attention remain:
The incorrect stone size
The lack of structural beams
The incomplete concrete foundation repair
He concludes: “Requesting new budgets while leaving these major issues unsolved only raises suspicion about vested interests.”
3. The “Emerald Pool” Landfill Project to Build a Library and Co-working Space – 150 Million Baht Budget
A proposal has been made to fill in the “Emerald Pool” on the 1st floor of the Parliament building to construct a public library and co-working space, with a budget of 150 million baht.
The so-called Emerald Pool is named after its green-tiled flooring, which gives it a jade-like appearance. However, it has faced repeated water leakage issues, with water seeping down to the elevator lobby on B2 level. Although repairs have been made, there’s no guarantee the leaks won’t recur.
One major concern is the condition of the wooden deck surrounding the pool, which has shown water pooling and potential use of fake wood. The former MP, who has repeatedly raised this issue, claims that the wood used in the building does not match what was specified in the contract. He is ready to take the matter to court to “physically inspect the wood’s origin”, and challenges the Parliament or contractors to sue him so the issue can be legally verified.
The justification given for filling in the pool is that the water has become stagnant and allegedly attracts mosquitoes, particularly Aedes mosquitoes. However, the former MP, who is also a pharmacist, counters that Aedes mosquitoes do not breed in polluted water, calling the rationale scientifically flawed.
Another reason cited is that the current library is located on the 8th–9th floors, making public access difficult. But he questions whether moving it to the 1st floor would truly improve accessibility, given that Parliament security procedures still apply and restrict general entry.
As for the original design of the pool, construction records show that it was intended to serve a functional environmental purpose: because the building is large and relies heavily on air conditioning, the pool—surrounded by plants—was meant to increase humidity, reduce heat, and improve energy efficiency. Now, the plan is to dismantle it and install more air conditioners instead. This raises the question: “How much more energy will be needed now?”
Crucially, if this project goes forward, the existing wood structure around the pool—currently under suspicion of being counterfeit—will be dismantled. This means the issue might quietly disappear without ever being properly addressed.
Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/politics/40049649
