{{Short description|Parliament building of Thailand}} {{Infobox building | name = Sappaya-Sapasathan | native_name= สัปปายะสภาสถาน | native_name_lang= TH | image = Sappaya-Sapasathan (I).jpg | caption = The "Chulamani Chedi" on the center of Sappaya-Sapasathan in 2023 | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_alt = | map_caption = | architectural_style = Thai Contemporary | location_town = [[Kiakkai]], [[Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Subdistrict|Thanon Nakhon Chai Si]], [[Dusit District|Dusit]], [[Bangkok]] | location_country = [[Thailand]] | coordinates = {{coord|13.795823|100.517282|region:TH_type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | architect = Theerapol Niyom | client = [[National Assembly of Thailand|National Assembly]] (2019–present) | construction_start_date = 8 June 2013 | completion_date = {{start date and age| 1 May 2021}} | floor_count = 11 | floor_area = 424,000 m<sup>2</sup> | grounds_area= 300,000 m<sup>2</sup> | website = {{url|http://www.parliament.go.th/}} }}

'''Sappaya-Sapasathan''' ({{langx|th|สัปปายะสภาสถาน}}, {{RTGS|''Sappayasaphasathan''}}, {{IPA|th|sàp.pāː.já(ʔ).sā.pʰāː.sā.tʰǎːn|pron}}) is the third and current meeting place of the [[National Assembly of Thailand]], the bicameral legislative branch of the [[Government of Thailand]].<ref>{{cite news|work=Realist|url=http://www.realist.co.th/blog/%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%82%E0%B8%94-%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%90%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%A0%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%81%E0%B8%AB%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%A1%E0%B9%88/|title=รัฐสภาแห่งใหม่ (สัปปายะสภาสถาน)แลนด์มาร์ค ริมเจ้าพระยา|archive-date=2021-09-09|access-date=2017-07-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909071123/http://www.realist.co.th/blog/%e0%b8%84%e0%b8%ad%e0%b8%99%e0%b9%82%e0%b8%94-%e0%b8%a3%e0%b8%b1%e0%b8%90%e0%b8%aa%e0%b8%a0%e0%b8%b2%e0%b9%81%e0%b8%ab%e0%b9%88%e0%b8%87%e0%b9%83%e0%b8%ab%e0%b8%a1%e0%b9%88/|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is located in [[Bangkok]] on the east bank of the [[Chao Phraya River]] in [[Kiakkai]] neighbourhood of the [[Dusit District]]. It is the world's largest parliament building with 424,000 m<sup>2</sup> of floor space.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |date=29 April 2021 |title=Eight years and billions of baht later, world’s largest Parliament opens in Thailand amid controversy |url=https://www.thaipbsworld.com/eight-years-and-billions-of-baht-later-worlds-largest-parliament-opens-in-thailand-amid-controversy/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512060301/https://www.thaipbsworld.com/eight-years-and-billions-of-baht-later-worlds-largest-parliament-opens-in-thailand-amid-controversy/ |archive-date=12 May 2021 |access-date=25 March 2025 |website=Thai PBS World |language=en-US}}</ref>

Once completed, [[Parliament House MRT station]] on [[MRT Purple Line]] will serve the area.

== History == The Thai parliament has changed its venue several times. Its first site was [[Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall]], 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,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.parliament.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/parliament_parcy/main.php?filename=history_newsapa|title=โครงการก่อสร้างอาคารรัฐสภาแห่งใหม่ – ความเป็นมาของโครงการ |trans-title=New Parliament House Construction – Project background|website=parliament.go.th |publisher=[[Parliament of Thailand]] |access-date=20 December 2023 |language=th}}</ref> resulting in relocation of [[Yothinburana School|Yothinburana secondary school]] and some communities.<ref>{{cite web |title=โครงการก่อสร้างอาคารรัฐสภาแห่งใหม่ – การเตรียมการ |trans-title=New Parliament House Construction – Preparation|url=https://www.parliament.go.th/ewtadmin/ewt/parliament_parcy/main.php?filename=prepare_newsapa |website=parliament.go.th |publisher=[[Parliament of Thailand]] |access-date=20 December 2023 |language=th}}</ref>

== 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]]", and the title is supposed to mean "a place for doing good deeds or good karma".<ref name="PE-20091215" />

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]]" and morality, making it truly a ''Sappaya Sapasathan'', "peaceful parliament".<ref name="AC-20160726">{{cite news |title=A 'symbol of Thainess': Thousands of teak trees to be cut down for Thailand's new parliament building |url=https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/07/thailand-teak-trees-parliament-building/ |access-date=2018-12-06 |work=Asian Correspondent |date=2016-07-26 |archive-date=2018-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206192615/https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/07/thailand-teak-trees-parliament-building/ |url-status=dead }} {{Cite web |url=https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/07/thailand-teak-trees-parliament-building/ |title=A 'symbol of Thainess': Thousands of teak trees to be cut down for Thailand's new parliament building |access-date=2018-12-06 |archive-date=2018-12-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181206192615/https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/07/thailand-teak-trees-parliament-building/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Sappaya-Sapasathan'' is a word combination with ''sappaya'' or the ''seven of Sappaya'', meaning "comfortable", "conducive conditions", "supportive", and the "right thing";<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hm9RCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA209 |title=ความหมายของสัปปายะ|year=1995|isbn=9789748357898}}</ref> and the word ''sapasathan'', meaning "council of the peaceful".

==Design== {{wide image|Sappaya-Sapasathan Pano (II).jpg|600px|Sappaya-Sapasathan in 2023, viewed from Yanhee Hospital}} Sappaya-Sapasathan was designed by a team led by Theerapol Niyom, who was the winner in the building's design competition.<ref name="PE-20091215">{{cite news |title=Design of new parliament focuses on morality in politics |url=https://prachatai.com/english/node/1541 |access-date=2018-12-06 |work=Pratchatai English |date=2009-12-15}}</ref> Built to provide more than 424,000 m<sup>2</sup> [4,600,000 square feet] of floor space, at a budget of approximately 23 billion [[Thai baht|baht]],<ref name = "EIA">[http://www.cabinet.soc.go.th/doc_image/2554/9922849918.pdf Environmental Impact Assessment (summary version for the executives)] The Secretariat of the House of Representatives. April 2011</ref> 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, [[Surya]] Hall (Hall of the Sun) for [[House of Representatives (Thailand)|House of Representative]], [[Chandra]] Hall (Hall of the Moon) for [[Senate of Thailand]], and the use of 5,018 [[teak]] trees as they represent the "[[DNA]] of Thailand".<ref name="KE-20160725">{{cite news |last1=Mokkhasen |first1=Sasiwan |title=No, 2,000 Teak Trees Won't Be Cut For New Parliament – More Like 5,000 |url=http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2016/07/25/no-2000-teak-trees-wont-cut-new-parliament-try-5000/ |access-date=2018-12-06 |work=Khaosod English |date=2016-07-25}}</ref>

It also [[Thai Parliament Museum|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".<ref name="Nation-20190608">{{cite news |last1=Phataranawik |first1=Phatarawadee |date=8 June 2019 |title=Bless this house |work=The Nation |url=https://www.nationthailand.com/detail/politics/30370725 |url-status=live |access-date=8 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190608010339/https://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30370725 |archive-date=8 June 2019}}</ref>

==Construction== [[File:Sappaya-Sapasathan 2019-07-25.jpg|thumb|left|Sappaya-Sapasathan during construction in July 2019]] It was contracted for in 2013 and was scheduled to be opened in 2015. It sits on a bank of the [[Chao Phraya River]] in [[Kiakkai]] neighbourhood of the [[Thanon Nakhon Chai Si Subdistrict]], Dusit District, occupying 300,000 m<sup>2</sup> 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=NLA seeks temporary venue for parliament |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1588262/nla-seeks-temporary-venue-for-parliament |access-date=2018-12-06 |work=Bangkok Post |date=2018-12-06}}</ref> Construction of the new building has been delayed for four years. The project budget has ballooned from 14 billion [[Thai baht|baht]] to 23 billion baht.<ref name="Nation-20190608"/> 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]], Parliament met in an auditorium rented from telecom firm [[TOT Public Company Limited|TOT]] at a cost of 11 million baht per month from May 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Stupidity Has to Stop |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1666040/the-stupidity-has-to-stop |access-date=3 June 2019 |work=Bangkok Post |date=24 April 2019 |department=Opinion}}</ref>

Since August 2019, Parliament now meets in Sappaya-Sapasathan, although parts of the building remained unfinished.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://workpointnews.com/2019/08/07/new-parliament-not-ready1/|title=รัฐสภาใหม่ "สัปปายะสภาสถาน" เปิดใช้แล้ว แต่ไม่พร้อม ก่อสร้างและตกแต่งไม่เสร็จหลายจุด|date=7 August 2019|work=Workpoint News|access-date=25 August 2019|language=th|trans-title=New parliament building "Sappaya-Sapasathan" now opened but unready; Construction and furnishing still unfinished at many points.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825092625/https://workpointnews.com/2019/08/07/new-parliament-not-ready1/|archive-date=25 August 2019|url-status=dead}} {{Cite web |url=https://workpointnews.com/2019/08/07/new-parliament-not-ready1/ |title=รัฐสภาใหม่ "สัปปายะสภาสถาน" เปิดใช้แล้ว แต่ไม่พร้อม ก่อสร้างและตกแต่งไม่เสร็จหลายจุด &#124; Workpoint News |access-date=25 August 2019 |archive-date=25 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190825092625/https://workpointnews.com/2019/08/07/new-parliament-not-ready1/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The building was officially opened on 1 May 2021 after significant delays.<ref name=":11" />

==Gallery== <gallery> File:Phra Suriyan chamber.jpg|Phra Suriyan Chamber File:Chantra Hall.jpg|Chantra Chamber File:Committee meeting room No. 304.jpg|Committee meeting room File:Sappaya-Sapasathan Pano (III).jpg|View of Sappaya-Sapasathan from Chao Phraya River </gallery>

==See also== * [[National Assembly of Thailand]] – legislature of Thailand ** [[Senate of Thailand]] ** [[House of Representatives of Thailand]] * [[Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall]] – previous home of the National Assembly (1933–1974) * [[Parliament House of Thailand]] – previous home of the National Assembly (1974–2018) * [[Government House of Thailand]] – home of the executive branch of the Royal Thai Government

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|Sappaya-Sapasathan}} * [http://www.parliament.go.th/ Parliament of Thailand] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081207023355/http://www.senate.go.th/th_senate/English/index.htm Senate of Thailand]

[[Category:Government buildings in Bangkok]] [[Category:Parliament of Thailand]] [[Category:Buildings and structures on the Chao Phraya River]] [[Category:Dusit district]] [[Category:Legislative buildings]] [[Category:Seats of national legislatures]]