Srettha promises to save Thailand from fiscal chaos

In a parliamentary revelation yesterday, January 5, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin admitted that his government had inherited the controversial fiscal 2024 budget and was scrambling to make necessary improvements.

Opposition MPs, particularly from the Democrat Party, unleashed a barrage of complaints, alleging unfair budget allocations that left southern provinces in the lurch.

PM Srettha found himself in the hot seat during the final day of a heated three-day House of Representatives debate on the 3.48-trillion-baht budget bill for fiscal 2024. The southern provinces, a traditional stronghold of the Democrats, were at the centre of the storm, with claims of insufficient state funds.

Facing the ire of opposition MPs, the 61 year old PM defended his government’s position.

“You have to understand that we have inherited this budget bill. And we are trying to do our best with it.”

In an attempt to appease the disgruntled MPs, the prime minister highlighted his commitment to the southern regions.

“Over the past four months in office, I have visited the south several times – twice to the three southern border provinces and many times to Phuket.”

PM Srettha underscored his sincere desire to ensure security and prosperity in the neglected areas.

“As the prime minister, I believe that within four years, Thai people in all regions [of the country] will have better well-being.”

The Bangkok-born PM acknowledged that improvements could be made to the budget bill for the maximum benefit of the public.

Previous administration

The contentious debate reached its climax yesterday, January 5, marking the end of discussions on the fiscal 2024 budget. PM Srettha, who also serves as the finance minister, echoed Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat’s recent statement, revealing that a significant portion of the budget bill was inherited from the previous government led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Julapun explained that continuous budgeting limited adjustments, but reassured that the Srettha government had revised the bill to better reflect its policies. Notable changes included addressing issues related to the fight against narcotics and toxic fine dust, as well as upgrading the universal healthcare programme, reported The Nation.

Amidst the less intense atmosphere of the final day, MP Sopon Saram from the Bhumjaithai Party highlighted the worsening problem of drug addiction, advocating for increased police involvement and budget allocation. Meanwhile, opposition MP Preeda Boonplerng accused the government of neglecting education, calling for a 10% increase in the state budget allocated to all 11 agencies under the Education Ministry.