Bangkok: The Budget Committee for fiscal year 2027 has announced a significant allocation of 390 billion baht towards the "30 Baht Healthcare Everywhere" initiative, while also instituting five stringent regulations to streamline the program.
According to Thai News Agency, the spokespersons for the Ad Hoc Committee, Mr. Koravee Prisnanantakul, Mr. Natchat Wongprasert, and Ms. Natthida Thepsutin, outlined the progress of the Draft Budget Act for Fiscal Year 2027. The committee, which has been in session for 27 consecutive meetings over 26 days, has reviewed the budgets of numerous agencies, focusing on reducing redundancy and ensuring sustainable income through efficient budget management.
Mr. Natchat Wongprasert reported that the Ministry of Public Health's budget exceeds 396 billion baht, with over 200 billion baht earmarked for the National Health Security Office (NHSO). This represents an increase of approximately 20 billion baht from the previous year. Concerns were raised regarding the management of funds, particularly with community hospitals suffering from accumulated losses. The NHSO has committed to revising its budget allocation structure to better reflect actual treatment costs, enabling citizens to access necessary healthcare services.
In alignment with the increased budget, the NHSO, together with the Ministry of Public Health, plans to support key policies such as the "30 Baht Healthcare Anywhere" project, the "Cancer Treatment Anywhere" program, and dialysis treatments for kidney failure patients. The NHSO is also addressing a projected fund deficit of over 14 billion baht by utilizing the 2026 budget and requesting an additional 6,702 million baht from the central budget. Five management measures have been established to ensure efficient use of funds.
Mr. Koravee Prisnanantakul discussed the adjustments to provincial and regional budgets, aiming to reduce budgetary duplication by 22 billion baht. Prioritization will be given to large-scale infrastructure projects managed by relevant agencies, ensuring provincial and regional budgets are used to develop and highlight the unique characteristics of each region, fostering sustainable income.
The committee has also set forth five prohibitions regarding the use of provincial and regional budgets, ensuring funds are utilized effectively and not for internal agency use, building repairs, or overseas study trips for government officials. The committee aims to finalize the draft budget bill by late August or early September 2026 for presentation to the House of Representatives.