A section of the ceiling at a cafeteria inside Thailand’s multi-billion-baht parliament complex collapsed on Sunday, damaging tables and chairs but causing no injuries.
The incident occurred at the basement cafeteria of the Sappaya-Sapasathan parliament complex in Bangkok. The area was closed because it was Sunday, meaning no diners or parliamentary staff were present when the ceiling came down.
Officials inspected the damaged area after the incident and are expected to determine what caused the ceiling to collapse. Further checks may also be needed to establish whether the problem is isolated or whether other sections of the building require inspection.
The incident has renewed attention on the parliament complex, which has faced criticism over its construction costs, lengthy delays and previous maintenance problems.
The Sappaya-Sapasathan complex covers about 424,000 square metres and is among the world’s largest parliament buildings. Its construction was originally budgeted at around 12.28 billion baht, but the project’s cost eventually rose to more than 20 billion baht.
The building was also delayed for years before eventually being completed and opened. Because of the scale and expense of the complex, any structural or maintenance problem is likely to attract public scrutiny.
Authorities have not reported any injuries from Sunday’s collapse. The immediate focus is now on assessing the damage, identifying the cause and ensuring the cafeteria and surrounding areas are safe before they return to normal use.
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