Parliament House of Thailand

Exterior of the Parliament House of Thailand

The Parliament House of Thailand (Thai: อาคารรัฐสภาไทย) currently houses the unicameral National Assembly of Thailand, the legislative branch of the Royal Thai Government. Under normal situation, the legislature is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, (the Senate of Thailand), and the lower house, (the House of Representatives of Thailand). The Parliament House of Thailand is located in the Dusit district in the capital Bangkok, Thailand.

History

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva answering questions in the chamber in 2009

After the first general election to the National Assembly in 1933, King Prajadhipok officially gave the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall to the new legislature. The Throne Hall was previously part of the Dusit Palace. Throughout the years the composition of the National Assembly increased and the Throne Hall became too small to accommodate all the members and the parliament's support offices. Three attempts were made to build a new building, however each failed because the government in power was terminated before a budget could be appropriated.

Structure

The fourth attempt, however, was a success. King Bhumibol Adulyadej appropriated to the National Assembly royal land immediately north of the Throne Hall for the site of the new Parliament House. The construction began on 5 November 1970, with a budget of 51,027,360 baht. The new Parliament House complex comprises three buildings:

The First Building: or the Parliament House, has three stories and contains the meeting chambers for the National Assembly, which the Senate and the House both share. It also contain the offices of the President and Vice President of the National Assembly and the deputy presiding officers.
The Second Building: a seven-story building contains the Secretariat and offices of the National Assembly as well as its Printing Press.
The Third Building: a two-story building used as the Parliament club with facilities for Assembly members.

The Parliament House was first used on 19 September 1974, as the Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall became a national historic building. From then on the Parliament House became the primary building used for the National Assembly, only the State Opening is held in the Throne Hall.

Future

On July 29, 2008, the National Assembly appropriated new funds to construct a new and grander Parliament House. As of December 2008 a site belonging to the Royal Thai Army has been found but has not yet been confirmed.

Gallery

Debating chamber within the building

Empty desks

External links

Coordinates: 13°46′28″N 100°30′50″E / 13.7744°N 100.5140°E / 13.7744; 100.5140

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