People’s Party opposes 2026 budget bill over economic concerns
Opposition party to vote against budget, calls for spending to be reallocated for economic emergencies
The People’s Party (PP) has decided to oppose the 2026 fiscal budget bill during its final reading in Parliament yesterday, Friday, August 15, criticising the government’s spending plan for not adequately reflecting the current economic conditions.
PP Deputy Leader Sirikanya Tansakul disclosed the party’s decision at around 1pm yesterday in Parliament. She indicated that the PP planned to reject the bill in the decisive vote, effectively “overthrowing” the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
Sirikanya, who is also a list-MP, explained that this decision followed a detailed evaluation during which the party had consistently provided recommendations to ensure the budget was equipped to handle potential future challenges.
However, these suggestions were overlooked by the government and the majority in the House committee on special budget.
Over recent debates, and earlier that morning, the party identified “excess fat” in the budget, which included allocations for non-essential projects that could be cut, delayed, or removed to allocate funds for emergencies or national economic crises, she noted.
Despite being in the minority and unable to amend even a single section of the bill, the People’s Party maintained its stance of rejecting the fiscal year 2026 budget during the third reading, as stated by the deputy leader.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavichira, who leads the special budget scrutiny committee, had informed the House of Representatives on August 13 that the committee had reduced the proposed budget by 8.92 billion baht. The House initiated its second and third readings of the 2026 fiscal budget bill, which amounts to 3.78 trillion baht.
Pichai mentioned that this revision was intended to better align government spending with national priorities, strategic plans, and the current economic landscape. The committee’s revisions were designed to ensure fiscal discipline and good governance while supporting key missions across various agencies.
He further added that the government’s strategic plans, including its national strategy, economic and social development plan, and other frameworks, were considered in these adjustments.
Bangkok Post reported that opposition People’s Party MPs attended a House session yesterday before the party declared its resolution to oppose the 2026 fiscal budget bill in its final reading.
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