Bangkok: Mr. Chaichana Dechdecho, a party-list MP from the Democrat Party, has raised significant concerns over the draft budget bill for fiscal year 2027, referring to it as the "Fake Budget Act." He criticized the government for previously offering false promises to the public regarding budget allocations to provinces. He revealed that budget cuts amounting to over 22 billion baht have left provincial groups with only approximately 4 billion baht, translating to less than 100 million baht per province.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chaichana expressed disappointment in the government's actions, particularly concerning its decentralization policy. Despite announcing an increase in budget allocation for local administrative organizations to 35%, the reality is a repeated allocation of 29%, with local governments receiving only 880,541 million baht instead of the 928,000 million baht they should have. He questioned the sincerity of the government's commitment to decentralization, suggesting it may merely view local administrative organizations as a voting bloc.
Mr. Chaichana also criticized the budget cuts affecting the Department of Mental Health, highlighting the ongoing rise in psychiatric cases in Thailand. He pointed out the reduction in the training budget for psychiatrists and national psychiatric care, emphasizing the gap between the needs of the population and the government's budget allocation. He referenced a study noting that over 13.4 million Thais have faced mental health issues, with significant suicide attempts reported annually, particularly among vulnerable groups.
Mr. Chaichana further addressed the use of AI in Thailand, questioning the government's communication regarding its investment in AI platforms like ChatGPT. He highlighted a government project offering free AI access to millions, yet pointed out the financial losses involved. He urged the government to clarify its platform development intentions and financial strategies to the public.
In his broader critique, Mr. Chaichana described the cabinet's current phase as a "political honeymoon," focused more on image building than on tackling urgent national issues. He emphasized the need for national leaders to listen to parliamentarians and criticized ministers for skipping budget debates, which he saw as undermining the importance of the country's financial planning.
Mr. Chaichana concluded with a stark reminder of the fiscal implications of the 2027 budget draft, which includes creating new debt exceeding 780 billion baht. He stressed the necessity for the government to be receptive to opposition proposals to ensure the budget genuinely supports Thailand's development needs.