The Thai government’s budget bill for the fiscal year 2024 is under scrutiny as Sanphet Boonyamanee, a Democrat MP for Songkhla, raises concerns over major budget cuts and potential misrepresentation of off-budget funds. He reveals that despite the government’s request for 3.48 trillion baht (US$ 99,917,725,200) for the 2024 fiscal year, state agencies had initially asked for up to 5.8 trillion baht (US$ 166,529,542,000).
“There’s a considerable reduction of 2.32 trillion baht (US$ 66,611,816,800) or about 40% in the budget allocations sought by state agencies,” he noted. “Regrettably, due to these budget constraints, the issues troubling our citizens will remain unresolved in the 2024 fiscal year.”
Sanphet also drew attention to the off-budget revenue, which is separate from the regular budget and aids in maintaining…
