BANGKOK, Thailand – A section of the ceiling above the canteen on the B2 level of the Parliament building collapsed yesterday, with no injuries reported as the incident occurred at the weekend. The B2 canteen is a busy area on workdays, particularly during lunch breaks, serving government officials, Parliament staff, MPs and senators, as well as visitors to the building.

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Relevant officials and the building’s engineering team are inspecting the area after the incident to assess the damage and determine the cause of the collapse, examining whether it was related to the building’s structure, moisture or the quality of the ceiling materials. No conclusion had been reached on the cause at the time of reporting. The affected area has been cordoned off for repairs and further safety inspections, and officials will assess the area and ensure it is safe before allowing it to reopen.

Photos of the collapse went viral on social media, drawing strong criticism over the quality of the construction, which was carried out under a 12.28-billion-baht contract, with the overall cost of the Parliament complex eventually rising to nearly 23 billion baht.

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The incident has renewed public scrutiny of the flagship project, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns since its inception, and critics have questioned how a relatively new building could suffer such structural failures while remaining in active use by the country’s legislators.

-Thailand News (TN)