New Bt12bn Parliament building to open next month
The new Parliament building, Sappaya Sapa Sathan (Peaceful Place of Assembly), will open on May 1, Pornpit Petcharoen, secretary-general of the House of Representatives, said on Monday.
Pornpit said construction was almost 99 per cent complete, with the finishing touches being applied to the landscape and interior decoration at the new riverside assembly.
The new Parliament is topped by a golden pagoda representing Mount Meru in Buddhist cosmology. The pagoda was designed by national artists Pinyo Suwankiri and Phao Suwansaksri.
"The walls of the Parliament's state hall have also been decorated with a mural by the Traditional Arts Office," she said. "The mural represents the story of Thai society across the nation and includes an image of citizens wearing face masks."
She added that the new parliament was designed to make Thais feel proud of their artistic heritage.
"People can also visit the Democracy Museum once the new Parliament is opened, to study the political history of Thailand,” said Pornpit.
Construction of the 11-storey Parliament on a 119.6-rai plot in Bangkok's Dusit district started in 2013 and covers an area of more than 424,000 square metres. The building cost approximately Bt12 billion and is said to be among the largest parliamentary assemblies in the world. It can accommodate more than 5,000 people and has parking space for about 2,000 cars.