The State Audit Office (SAO) is continuing to pay rent for the site of its collapsed new headquarters, as its lease with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) remains in force until Sept 30, 2033.
The issue resurfaced during the first reading of the fiscal 2027 Budget Bill after People's Party MP Panida Mongkolsawat said the SAO had six years remaining on the lease and would pay a total of 764 million baht under the agreement.
In a statement issued on Monday, the SAO said the figure represented the total budget commitment over the 15-year lease period from 2017 to 2033, not a lump-sum payment. It said actual rental payments from fiscal 2019 to 2026 had averaged about 38 million baht a year.
The agency said rent funding must continue in fiscal 2027 because the lease has not been formally terminated. Although the construction contract was cancelled after the building collapsed on March 28, 2025, the contractor has yet to vacate the site and hand it back to the SAO despite repeated requests, leaving the SAO legally bound by the agreement.
The SAO said it terminated the construction contract and sought penalties and damages from the contractor on Feb 13. It is also coordinating with the SRT, the Treasury Department and the contractor on the return of the land and the management of assets remaining on the site.
A Transport Ministry source said the lease remains valid and that no talks have been held to terminate it, adding that the SAO has continued to make rent payments on schedule and has no arrears.
The SAO has yet to decide whether to rebuild its headquarters at the same location because legal proceedings related to the collapse are still ongoing.
However, the office reportedly no longer wishes to use the land, while the Royal Thai Police has expressed interest in leasing the site. The lease allows lease rights to be transferred or the property to be subleased with prior written approval from the SRT. Any transfer to the police would require agreement between the two agencies and the railway authority's consent.
The original lease, signed in 2017, covered 17,217.23 sqm. Following cabinet approval in 2022, the leased area was expanded to 24,311.10 sqm for access roads and landscaping, extending the lease to 2033 and increasing the total commitment to 764 million baht.
