Opponents of the People's Party refuse to approve the 2026 budget bill during its final discussion
Thailand's 2026 Fiscal Budget Bill Rejected by Opposition People's Party
In a significant move, the opposition People's Party (PP) has announced its decision to vote against the 2026 fiscal budget bill during its third and final reading in Parliament. The PP's deputy leader, Sirikanya Tansakul, made this announcement at parliament at about 1pm on Friday.
The PP's rejection of the bill is based on their belief that the government's spending plan does not reflect the current economic situation and contains excessive allocations for non-essential projects. According to Ms. Sirikanya, the budget contains "excess fat" with allocations for non-essential projects that could be reduced, postponed, or removed to free up funds for emergency situations or national economic crises.
The revised 2026 fiscal budget bill totals 3.78 trillion baht and is currently undergoing its second and third readings in the House of Representatives. The special budget scrutiny committee, chaired by Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavichira, has revised the bill by 8.92 billion baht. However, the PP's efforts to influence the budget were disregarded by the government and the House’s special budget committee.
Mr. Pichai stated that the committee's revisions were made to better align government spending with national priorities, strategic plans, and current economic realities. Unfortunately, the article does not provide information about any specific changes made to the budget during the committee's revisions.
The PP, being in the minority in the House, could not amend even a single section of the bill. Despite offering numerous recommendations to address potential future challenges, their suggestions were ignored. Consequently, they rejected the budget to express firm opposition to what they viewed as an improperly prepared fiscal plan.
This decision by the PP is not a response to the committee's revisions. Reports of attempted bribes to PP MPs, offering 10 million baht each to vote in favor of certain budget-related bills, highlight the political tensions surrounding the budget approval process but are separate from the PP’s stated reasons for voting against the entire fiscal budget bill.
Despite the PP’s rejection, the budget bill ultimately passed the House and will proceed to the Senate for approval. The government's strategic plans, including the national strategy, national economic and social development plan, and other frameworks, were taken into account during the revisions.
[1] Source: The Nation Thailand [2] Source: Bangkok Post [3] Source: Thai PBS World [4] Source: Khaosod English
- The opposition People's Party's rejection of the 2026 fiscal budget bill during its third reading in Parliament signifies a significant political development in Thailand's policy-and-legislation landscape.
- The ongoing debate surrounding the 2026 fiscal budget bill, with its rejection by the People's Party due to concerns about excessive allocations for non-essential projects, has become a central issue in Thailand's general news and politics.
