Chai's mission continues 16-year hunt for a site

Finding a workplace for hundreds of people is not an easy matter, especially when they are prominent people such as legislators and politicians.

The past 16 years spent on finding a new location for Parliament has so far proved fruitless.

When Chai Chidchob was voted in as House Speaker last Monday, the first thing he announced was to push for the construction of the new Parliament to be completed during his term.

It could well be his most important mission and his greatest achievement, should he succeed.

He is not the only one to stress the importance of the project. Since the idea for a new Parliament was conceived when Marut Bunnag was the House Speaker - and therefore Parliament President - new locations have been proposed and selected every time the head of the Parliament was changed. Yongyuth Tiyapairat was the only exception.

Democrat MP Charoen Kanthawong, who headed the committee considering the location during Marut's era, said a new Parliament was necessary. The current location in the city is crowded and close to a royal residential compound.

People Power Party MP Kudeb Saikrachang said the current Parliament was too small. Its staff members are scattered around too many rented offices, he said. Plus, the Parliament should be a gracious and prestigious landmark as it is the heart of the country's legislation.

MPs held long discussions about the different possibilities for the site. They were not pleased with some of the proposed locations, and dismissed others. Besides the change of parliamentary presidents, the final decision had not been made as conflicts of interest had arisen, he said.

The parliamentary special committees considering locations over the years have come up with six possible sites, including a plot in Bang Nam Priao in Chachoengsao province, a State Railway of Thailand plot in Chatuchak, and a Crown Property Bureau plot along the Chao Phya River in Kiak Kai.

The committee during Uthai Pimchaichon's era added another option at Khao Tham Phra, around Pasak Jolasit Dam in Lop Buri, citing the beautiful setting.

Charoen said the site at Lop Buri was heavily opposed by MPs at the time. Kudeb said it was because of the distance from Bangkok and other government agencies.

When Bhokin Bhalakula was Parliament President, property firm Krisda Mahanakorn proposed to donate 400 rai near its Suvarnabhumi City project on the Bang Na-Trat Highway for the site.

Nonetheless, the military-appointed National Legislative Assembly (NLA) under Meechai Ruchuphan also selected a new location on a piece of land used as a weapons warehouse, which belongs to the Army's Ordnance Department in Pak Kred, Nonthaburi.

The location has many advantages. The 265-rai plot belongs to a government agency and the cost of the land is not high. Bt1 billion was to be given to the Army as compensation, while another Bt200 million would go towards construction.

However, the end of the NLA's term and the December 2007 elections put the project on hold.

Earlier, the NLA committee had chosen a 210-rai plot belonging to the Royal Irrigation Department's Golf Course plus 37 rai of Cholprathan Wittaya School. Although the department did not oppose the use of the land, it said a public hearing and just compensation for the affected people must be provided.

The announcement of the plan caused protests from students, their parents and members of the golf course and caddies.

The late Luang Phor Panya Nantha Bhikku of Wat Cholprathan Rangsarit also opposed the project.

The plots also belonged to government agencies and would be close to the new state-agency complex. Parliament would have to pay Bt3.5 billion to the golf club as compensation, while Bt421 million would go to the school.

Members of the golf club, caddies and shop-owners in the club sought more compensation.

As for Crown Property Bureau's land in Kiak Kai, the site received support from some people who said it was a beautiful, historical area that suited the purpose - but was also in a crowded area and near another royal residential compound.

Expropriation would prove costly and construction of high buildings is prohibited along the waterway. Moreover, construction would be difficult and cause traffic congestion.

Deputy House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont said it was up to Chai to appoint another committee to consider the location.

Somsak proposed the land should belong to a state agency to prevent problems arising from a conflict of interest. He did not want to study new locations, preferring those that had been studied earlier to avoid starting from scratch.

"The Army's Ordnance Department land in Pak Kred was the most recent choice picked by the NLA. But the latest doesn't mean the best," Somsak said.

"Why should we do away with a chance to locate the best possible site? But we need not start from scratch, just simply review the choices that had been made by past Speakers."

Kudeb said the NLA's reasons in selecting the site in Pak Kred were sound enough. Meanwhile, location consideration must be expedited. If a place is selected, construction would not take too long. Charoen also said it was time to move on. Being choosy would just delay the project. Therefore, the location in Pak Kred selected by the NLA should be the solution.