House Speaker Chuan Leekpai says he expects that all 500 House representatives will be able to start holding meetings in the Senate chamber of the new parliament complex next month, but they need extra chairs.
The 350-seat auditorium will serve as the chamber for the Senate of 250, but because its construction is scheduled to finish ahead of the Lower House's, it is set to be a temporary venue for MPs.
Although workers said they have already put the "final touches" to the auditorium, Mr Chuan said, "In my view, it's not 100% complete," on Friday during a visit to the riverside parliament building in Bangkok's Kiakkai area.
However, he believes that House representatives could start using the facility as soon as August, although an extra 150 chairs are needed, he said. Secretary-general of the House of Representatives, Sorasak Pienvej, said the auditorium is not ready for use as its satellite rooms and other facilities like toilets, pathways and car park are not finished.
The sooner the legislators can meet at the new parliament building, the more the government can save on the budget it has set aside to rent the TOT Plc auditorium. Authorities spend 11 million baht per month, or 360,000 baht daily, to use the facility on Chaeng Watthana Road, Mr Sorasak said.
The lease will end on Saturday, but Mr Sorasak said it will be extended for another seven days, particularly for the joint parliamentary session between July 25-26, when the government will formally state its policies before lawmakers.
The construction of the 12-billion-baht parliament building is behind schedule, and is currently only about 65% complete. Its construction has faced several setbacks, including delays in transferring land to contractors.