Bangkok: Sirikanya Tansakul of the Prachachon Party has issued a strong challenge to the government, urging the distribution of 20,000 baht to citizens ahead of the election regardless of circumstances, criticizing the current budget allocation as ineffective in addressing key economic issues.
According to Thai News Agency, during the House of Representatives meeting focused on the draft budget for fiscal year 2026, Sirikanya concluded the debate by highlighting the urgency of the economic challenges facing Thailand. She criticized the government’s handling of the budget, specifically its failure to adequately address the ongoing trade war and the broader economic crisis. She emphasized the need to cut budgets at risk of corruption to ensure efficient use of funds.
Sirikanya pointed out the dire state of the economy, citing that the worst-case scenario could see economic growth plummet to just 1.3% this year and 1% in 2026. She criticized the government’s reluctance to revise the budget despite previous amendments in 2024 and 2025. The central budget for economic stimulus in 2026 is significantly lower than the previous year, raising concerns about its flexibility and effectiveness.
Sirikanya also questioned the proposed economic stimulus budget, which includes a project to distribute 10,000 baht in digital wallets with limited funding. She expressed skepticism about the selection process for beneficiaries, highlighting the lack of transparency and potential inefficiencies.
Furthermore, Sirikanya criticized the budget allocation for local administrative organizations, specifically pointing out the disproportionate funding request for AI projects by the Chiang Rai Provincial Energy Office, which seems unrelated to its core responsibilities.
She also addressed the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives’ budget, which she described as outdated and unprepared for potential economic downturns in agricultural product prices. She warned of the potential need to rely on central budget allocations or the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives to address these issues.
Sirikanya highlighted inadequacies in addressing environmental challenges, noting the lack of proactive measures for pollution, waste, and disaster management, which could lead to insufficient budgets for compensation in the future.
Her critique extended to the regular expenses in the 2016 budget, which she argued were misleadingly presented as reduced while essential areas like interest payments and pensions were underfunded. This approach, she claimed, was a tactic to make the budget numbers appear favorable.
Finally, Sirikanya discussed the potential postponement of a frigate purchase, advocating for strategic timing to benefit the economy in 2027. She drew parallels with the COVID-19 crisis, suggesting that a comprehensive budget overhaul is necessary to restore government legitimacy and prevent using the People’s Party as leverage in political conflicts.
Despite her critiques, Sirikanya expressed confidence that the opposition would rigorously scrutinize the budget to eliminate unnecessary expenditures, aiming to ensure that the budget is used effectively to address Thailand’s pressing economic challenges.