Bangkok: Surachet Pravinwongwut, a party-list MP for the Prachachon Party, has raised serious concerns over the budget allocated for the new Ministry of Transport building, labeling it as the most expensive and scandalous government project of the year. Surachet claims that without the minister’s backing, the project might have been scrapped entirely due to the exorbitant costs involved. He calls for a thorough review and redesign to make the project more reasonable and fiscally prudent.

According to Thai News Agency, during a meeting in the House of Representatives, Surachet detailed the financial implications of the new “Transportation Building.” He argued that the budget could be significantly reduced if the committee members were more judicious in their decisions. Surachet questioned the rationale behind only a 10% budget reduction, suggesting that the project should be redesigned to ensure accuracy and cost-effectiveness. He pointed out that the building’s lavish design is more akin to a luxury complex than a functional government office, with costs exceeding those of the State Audit Office building by over three times.

Surachet also highlighted the excessive space allocation, with 124 square meters of usable space per person, arguing that the number and size of meeting rooms could be reduced. He suggested that the Ministry of Transport is leveraging taxpayer money to fund an unnecessarily luxurious project, and called for a reduction in extravagant features such as the IMax-style auditorium. Surachet emphasized the need for the building to be redesigned to save billions of baht and to ensure it aligns with the budgetary constraints outlined in the BOQ.

The MP expressed gratitude to the minority subcommittee members who opposed the current budget but noted that the majority committee failed to provide a satisfactory explanation when the issue was brought before the full council. Surachet urged the council to consider further budget reductions for the Ministry of Transport to avoid excessive spending on a project he deems unjustifiable.