The Sappaya-Sapasathan ( th, สัปปายะสภาสถาน, , ) is the third and current meeting place of the
National Assembly of Thailand, the bicameral legislative branch of the
Government of Thailand
The Government of Thailand, or formally the Royal Thai Government ( Abrv: RTG; th, รัฐบาลไทย, , ), is the unitary government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The country emerged as a modern nation state after the foundation of t ...
. It is located on the left bank of the
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
Et ...
in
Kiakkai
Kiakkai or Kiak Kai ( th, เกียกกาย, ) is an intersection and neighbourhood in Bangkok's Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Subdistrict, Dusit District.
The term ''Kiakkai'' is an old Thai word meaning "Provisions Department" (comparable to ...
neighbourhood of the
Dusit District. It is the world's largest parliament building with 424,000 m
2 of floor space.
History
The parliament has changed its venue several times. Its first site was
Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall ( th, พระที่นั่งอนันตสมาคม : ''Phra Thinang Anantasamakhom'': translated as 'The place of immense gathering'Noobanjong, page 167) is a royal reception hall in Dusit Palace in ...
, used from 1933 until 1974. It then moved to the
Parliament House of Thailand, but the building was soon outgrown. In 2008, three sites were considered for a new building. They were the
Dusit District, the
Mueang Nonthaburi District, and the
Khlong Toei District. The Dusit District was chosen by the
Samak Sundaravej government.
Name
There are slightly different interpretations of the building's name.
The title of the winning design was ''Sappaya Sapha Sathan''. The architects who submitted it said that the Buddhist term ''sappaya'' means "comfortable in
dharma
Dharma (; sa, धर्म, dharma, ; pi, dhamma, italic=yes) is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and others. Although there is no direct single-word translation for '' ...
", and the title is supposed to mean "a place for doing good deeds or good karma".
The building's design was inspired by a classic Thai Buddhist tale, ''Trai Bhum Phra Ruang'', and was made to look like a temple as a reminder to officials of "
Thainess
Thainess or the Thai identity ( th, ความเป็นไทย, ) is a conceptual identity regarding the quality of being Thai, i.e. characteristics seen as distinctive to the Thai people, their culture, and those belonging to Thailand as a ...
" and morality, making it truly a ''Sappaya Sapasathan'', "peaceful parliament".
[ ]
''Sappaya-Sapasathan'' is a word combination with ''sappaya'' or the ''seven of Sappaya'', meaning "comfortable", "conducive conditions", "supportive", and the "right thing"; and the word ''sapasathan'', meaning "council of the peaceful".
Design
The Sappaya-Sapasathan design by a team led by Theerapol Niyom was the winner in a new parliament building design competition.
Built to provide more than 424,000 m
2 of floor space, at a budget of approximately 23 billion
baht,
[Environmental Impact Assessment (summary version for the executives)](_blank)
The Secretariat of the House of Representatives. April 2011 it can accommodate more than 5,000 people and parking for 2,000 cars. Its main features are a Thai pagoda in the center of the building, Suriyan Hall (Hall of the Sun) for House of Representative, Chantra Hall (Hall of the Moon) for Senate, and the use of 5,018
teak trees as they represent the "
DNA of Thailand".
It also
houses museums, a convention center, a seminar room, a banquet hall, and offices. The design has been criticised for being "religious architecture", embracing "elements of Buddhist and Hindu cosmology".
Construction
The new parliament building, after significant delays, is due to be inaugurated in late 2020.
It was contracted for in 2013 and was scheduled to be opened in 2015. It sits on a bank of the
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya ( or ; th, แม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา, , or ) is the major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It flows through Bangkok and then into the Gulf of Thailand.
Et ...
in
Kiakkai
Kiakkai or Kiak Kai ( th, เกียกกาย, ) is an intersection and neighbourhood in Bangkok's Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Subdistrict, Dusit District.
The term ''Kiakkai'' is an old Thai word meaning "Provisions Department" (comparable to ...
neighbourhood of the
Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Subdistrict, Dusit District, occupying 300,000 m
2 of land. The site of the previous parliament building was returned to its owner, the
Bureau of the Royal Household, at the end of 2018. Construction of the new building has been delayed for four years. The project budget has ballooned from 14 billion
baht to 23 billion baht.
Parliament has levied no penalties on the developer for missing the deadline. As the land where the old parliament building sits was already returned to the
Crown Property Bureau
The Crown Property Bureau (CPB) ( th, สำนักงานทรัพย์สินพระมหากษัตริย์; ) is legally the administrative agency responsible for managing the property of the King of Thailand. It has no ...
, Parliament met in an auditorium rented from telecom firm
TOT at a cost of 11 million baht per month from May 2019. Since August 2019, Parliament now meets in Sappaya-Sapasathan, although parts of the building remain unfinished.
[ ]
See also
*
National Assembly of Thailand – legislature of Thailand
**
Senate of Thailand
**
House of Representatives of Thailand
*
Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall
The Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall ( th, พระที่นั่งอนันตสมาคม : ''Phra Thinang Anantasamakhom'': translated as 'The place of immense gathering'Noobanjong, page 167) is a royal reception hall in Dusit Palace in ...
– previous home of the National Assembly (1933–1974)
*
Parliament House of Thailand – previous home of the National Assembly (1974–2018)
*
Government House of Thailand
Government House ( th, ทำเนียบรัฐบาล; ) refers to the offices of the Prime Minister of Thailand and appointed cabinet ministers. It contains conference rooms and is used for state functions and receptions of foreign gu ...
– home of the executive branch of the Royal Thai Government
References
External links
{{Commons category, Sappaya-Sapasathan
Parliament of Thailand
Government buildings in Bangkok
Parliament of Thailand
Buildings and structures on the Chao Phraya River
Dusit district
Legislative buildings
Seats of national legislatures