Japan · Nation Thailand
Watanya seeks 12-billion-baht budget cut, warns of ‘blank cheque’ for government
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Watanya Bunnag, better known as “Madam Dear”, has called for a 12-billion-baht energy allocation to be removed from Thailand’s fiscal 2027 central budget, warning that it could give the executive a “blank cheque” to redirect the money later.
Key facts
- Watanya, a non-MP member on the special House committee scrutinising the fiscal 2027 budget bill, said the allocation duplicated funding already provided under the government’s emergency borrowing programme.
- Under the proposed arrangement, participating agencies would contribute 50% of the cost from their own funds, with the central budget providing the remainder.
- Speaking at Parliament ahead of the committee’s meeting on Monday, Watanya said the central-budget allocation had the same stated purpose as the 200-billion-baht energy-transition component of the government’s emergency loan decree.
- The decree authorises borrowing of up to 400 billion baht, divided equally between measures to ease the effects of higher living and energy costs and longer-term projects supporting Thailand’s transition towards cleaner energy
Summary
Watanya, a non-MP member on the special House committee scrutinising the fiscal 2027 budget bill, said the allocation duplicated funding already provided under the government’s emergency borrowing programme.
Speaking at Parliament ahead of the committee’s meeting on Monday, Watanya said the central-budget allocation had the same stated purpose as the 200-billion-baht energy-transition component of the government’s emergency loan decree.