At the Brahmin ceremony, the premier showered flower petals before tying a Thai-style waist cloth, or Pha Khao Ma, around the building’s principle pole. The pole was marked with auspicious powder and gold leaves and placed in a hole at the auspicious Brahmin time of 6.39am.

The ceremony was followed by a Buddhist ritual to bless the building.

Revered monks joined the ceremony, including Phra Phrommangalajan, or Chao Khun Thong Chai, the assistant abbot of the Traimitr Withayaram Temple.

Phra Phrommangalajan was the monk who gave Thai-owned Leicester City spiritual support as it marched towards the English Premier League title this year.

The monk had a brief chat with the PM yesterday and gave him a golden amulet.

The site of the building is a grass field behind Thai Khu Fah. The building, yet to be named, will consist of a lounge divided into several compartments with a capacity of 150 to 200 people, Pranee Sripasert, deputy secretary-general to the PM for administrative affairs, told The Nation.

Its architectural style, Pranee added, would be in harmony with those of the principal Thai Khu Fah and Santi Maitree buildings – neo-Venetian Gothic architecture combined with Byzantine art.

“The landmark Thai Khu Fah, as well as the Santi Maitree building, have been used so much that they never get to rest for a day. So PM Prayut thought that a new building would come in [handy] to help welcome his official guests and to host events,” said Pranee.

Although the project was initiated by Prayut, Pranee denied it was a pet project of the general-turned-prime minister. “This is being done for a long-term purpose, indeed,” she said.

“He wishes that the new building have historical value like the other buildings in the compound,” she said. “He said that all succeeding prime ministers should serve from sophisticated buildings that suit their magnificent positions.”

The building is slated to cost Bt137 million and take 11 months to build. It has been designed by the Fine Arts Department and will be built by the Army’s Post Engineering Department.