Published on May 13, 2005

House Speaker Bhokin Bhalakula was slammed yesterday for taking it upon himself to decide where the new Parliament building should be without waiting for the committee responsible to reach its conclusions.

He said the best place for the Parliament building was the site of a bankrupt textile factory in Pathum Thani province. The land belonged to Thai Melon Textile Co on Rangsit Road, in Klong Luang district.

Democrat Party deputy leader Jurin Laksanawisit, a committee adviser, said Bhokin should not have voiced his opinion before the panel came up with its conclusion.

He said that land was no more suitable than the plot in Kiak Kai in Dusit district or Ordnance Department land in Nonthaburi.

“Why would we buy that land and build the new Parliament there? It has no dignity. The land was seized by a bank because the business created non-performing loans,’’ he said.

Bhokin said he asked Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit about extending the Skytrain to that location, and linking with the Chiang Rak expressway. The land would cost Bt3 billion and construction another Bt5 billion.

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