Bangkok: The spokesperson for the Budget Committee affirmed that the consideration of the 70-year budget is based on economic data, and is transparent and verifiable. The spokesperson for the Budget Committee of Thailand confirmed that the decision was based on economic data.
According to Thai News Agency, today at the Parliament building, Ms. Natthida Thepsutin, spokesperson for the Ad Hoc Committee considering the Draft Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2027, announced the results of the committee's first meeting (1/2026). She stated that the committee has completed the selection of all personnel and has established a framework for its work in continuously considering the Draft Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2027, with meetings held every Monday to Friday. Yesterday's meeting was the first, and five key positions were appointed, including the Chair of the Committee, Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Minister of Finance. The committee consists of 9 vice-chairpersons, 6 committee advisors, 4 committee secretaries, and 3 committee spokespersons. Meeting schedules are as follows: Monday, 13:00 - 19:00; Tuesday to Thursday, 09:00 - 19:00; and Friday, 09:00 - 16:00.
To ensure transparency in the deliberations and allow the public to fully monitor the committee's work, live video and audio of the meetings will be broadcast via the committee's website, TP Channel's YouTube channel, the Parliament's radio and television stations, and also streamed from outside the committee meeting room, except in cases where the committee resolves to hold a closed-door meeting as requested by members or those providing testimony.
Regarding the guidelines for clarification by various agencies, ministerial-level representatives are limited to 5 minutes, and departmental-level representatives to 3 minutes. A maximum of 5 representatives from each department may participate in the clarification process, to ensure efficient deliberation and adherence to the allocated time frame.
A spokesperson for the committee stated that today's meeting was to consider the overall budget and the budget under Section 6, or the "central budget," totaling 693,880 million baht. Four economic agencies were invited to provide explanations on the country's economic situation to assist the committee in its deliberations.
In clarification, the Bank of Thailand assesses that the Thai economy is likely to continue expanding in the short term, despite pressure from the conflict in the Middle East, which affects commodity costs and inflation. At the same time, government economic stimulus measures, along with increased investment in artificial intelligence (AI), will be supporting factors for the economy. The Bank of Thailand projects that the Thai economy will grow by 2.3 percent this year and 1.8 percent next year.
Furthermore, the committee inquired about the economic impact of the situation on the Thai-Cambodian border. A representative from the National Economic and Social Development Council explained that the current impact on the overall Thai economy is limited, as the value of border trade is not yet sufficient to significantly affect the country's overall economy.
Next week, the committee will begin reviewing the budgets of each budget-receiving unit in order, and will continuously update the public on the progress of the review.