New site for Thai parliament proposed

BANGKOK, January 7 (TNA) - After facing several problems in Bangkok’s Kiak Kai area to build a new Thai Parliament building, Charoen Chankomol, First Deputy House Speaker, proposed on Saturday that a new parliamentary complex be built in Pak Kret area of Bangkok's suburban Nontaburi Province instead. Charoen said in his capacity as chairman of construction follow-up of the new Thai Parliament building that he personally feels the new Parliament building should be constructed at a more suitable site, for example, Pak Kret District in Nontaburi. Charoen's proposal to move construction of the new Parliament building to a new site then came to an attention of Thai Parliament President Somsak Kiartsuranont, who said that he would study on the issue, and that more delay would be seen if the building was to be moved. The construction of the new Thai Parliament building in Kiak kai is expected to be further delayed due to relocations of people from nearby communities and Yothinburana School, with an additional state budget of 600 million baht having been requested from the latter for building its new canteen room, car parking building and a football field. Earlier, the school was given one billion baht to move out from the Kiak Kai area. It has remained unclear whether the Education Ministry will give the green light for the additional requested fund. Charoen said his committee had also requested the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to move construction of a new bridge across the Chao Phraya River for a further 400 metres so that it would not obstruct the view of the new parliament building. The issue has also remained unsettled amid worries that the Kiak Kai area may face flooding problems in the future. (TNA)