Bangkok: Wan Nor has scheduled a budget review meeting from August 13-15, following a significant reduction of nearly 9 billion baht in the national budget. The Budget Committee’s report highlights transfers to seven agencies and two programs for key missions, including a 70 million baht reduction in the Ministry of Public Health budget and an increase for the Phayao Provincial Administrative Organization.
According to Thai News Agency, House Speaker Wan Muhammad Noor Matha convened a special session from August 13-15 to deliberate on the draft 3.78 trillion baht budget bill for fiscal year 2026. This session follows the completion of the second and third readings by the special committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Pichai Chunhavajira.
The committee’s report indicates that the budget set for 2026, originally at 3.78 trillion baht, underwent a reduction totaling 8.92 billion baht, impacting all ministries and government agencies. The Ministry of Interior, Parliamentary agencies, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Public Health, and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment are among those with the highest budget cuts.
The report further details that the reduced budget has been redistributed to government agencies and other entities as proposed by the Cabinet, amounting to 8.69 billion baht, along with 230 million baht for parliamentary agencies and various constitutional organizations.
Additional allocations include 4.914 billion baht for state enterprises to support the Orange Line electric train project, 1,568 million baht for hosting the World Bank and IMF annual meeting in 2026, and 1 billion baht for a central reserve fund. Furthermore, the Ministry of Labor received an increase to support the Social Security Fund, and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security received funds to improve living conditions for people with disabilities.
The report also highlights adjustments such as a 114 million baht reduction for the Ministry of Interior’s Department of Local Administration, alongside increases for local administrative organizations in various provinces. The Ministry of Public Health’s budget adjustments include a 70 million baht reallocation to 13 local administrative organizations.