Public eyes massive budget for new Parliament fixes

The public spotlight has swiftly turned to a new controversy involving Thailand's 20-billion-baht Parliament complex, as nearly one billion baht from the 2026 budget's first allocation is being requested for a series of “renovation and extension” projects, despite the complex having been in use for just over five years. 

The Secretariat of the House of Representatives only formally accepted the fully completed project in July 2024.

This latest budget controversy originated from scrutiny by the House Committee on Political Development, Mass Communications, and Public Participation, chaired by Parit Wacharasindhu, a list MP from the People's Party.

During its May 1st session, the committee examined budget proposals from agencies involved in political operations as part of the draft Budget Act for fiscal year 2026. Their attention was drawn to the Secretariat’s request for over 2.77 billion baht to fund at least 15 renovation projects within the Parliament complex.

Parit revealed that 10 of those projects, totalling 956 million baht, have already been included in the draft Budget Act. These projects include:

Construction and renovation of the Parliament Museum, including consultant fees – 44 million baht

Installation of a 4D cinema system in auditoriums B1 and B2 – 180 million baht

Upgraded lighting for seminar rooms B1 and B2 – 117 million baht

Renovation of two Glass Pavilions – 123 million baht

Renovation of the Budget Committee meeting room – 118 million baht

Renovation of the Parliament kitchen area – 117 million baht

Installation of audio-visual systems in the B2 banquet hall – 99 million baht

Purchase of LED display screens – 72 million baht

Landscaping and organic fertiliser production project – 43 million baht

Renovation of the first-floor banquet hall, Zone C – 43 million baht

The remaining five projects, with a combined cost of 1.817 billion baht, have been submitted to the Budget Bureau but have not yet received approval for the 2026 fiscal year. These include:

Construction of an additional parking building, including supervision and consulting fees – 1.529 billion baht

Design and installation of a new backdrop behind the House Speaker’s throne in the main chamber – 133 million baht

Purchase of suspicious object scanners – 74 million baht

PM2.5 dust protection and air quality improvement systems – 50 million baht

Repair and restoration of teakwood pillars – 31 million baht

The key question being raised publicly is whether these renovations are truly necessary or appropriate. While the committee has taken the first step by disclosing the projects to the public, clear justifications from the responsible departments were not provided during the May 1st meeting.

As a result, the committee has formally summoned the heads of relevant units to appear for a follow-up session on May 8.

Parit admitted that the committee is unlikely to halt the budget request outright, as it is already under review by the Budget Bureau. However, by bringing these issues to light and attracting public attention, he believes that MPs—who are responsible for scrutinising budget legislation, will be better positioned to assess the necessity and appropriateness of each item, and potentially recommend cuts or reductions where warranted.

Even within the ruling coalition, several MPs have expressed concerns that some projects—especially the 180-million-baht 4D cinema and the 123-million-baht Glass Pavilion renovations—are ill-suited to the country’s current economic struggles and growing social welfare demands.

Some observers have also raised red flags about potential corruption. Proposing high-value projects without a clear need could open the door to mismanagement or so-called “kickbacks” during the implementation phase.

Another point of concern is that if renovations proceed, they might void the warranty agreement still in effect with Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd., the original contractor, which remains responsible for maintenance until July 2026. If a new contractor takes over certain zones, this could relieve the original firm from fixing existing issues, raising suspicions of collusion between government agencies and private contractors through the “budget strategy.”

These suspicions align with remarks from former Democrat MP and former chairman of the House anti-corruption committee, Wilas Chanpitak, who suggested that demolishing and reworking recently completed areas might be a tactic to cover up past irregularities.

Therefore, during parliamentary deliberations, lawmakers are urged to consider these implications carefully—unless, of course, they choose to "turn a blind eye" in pursuit of political compromise or mutual benefit.

While resistance to these projects is growing, there is also a faction in support of the nearly 1-billion-baht Phase 1 renovation package, hoping to push it through with as little controversy as possible.