On May 23, Ms. Sirikanya Tansakun, list MP and Deputy Leader of the People’s Party (PPC), spoke about preparations for the upcoming debate on the 2026 Budget Bill. She revealed that the party recently received the full draft budget on May 20 and has since been rigorously preparing over 40 speakers to cover a broad range of topics without overlap.
When asked about the debate theme, she revealed the party's approach: “Helping the government find money — the last chance before Thailand’s economy collapses.” In addition to the usual critique of inefficient spending, the PPC will help the government prioritize projects, ensuring sufficient funds to address the looming trade war.
Regarding the government's urgent call for agencies to submit projects for the 157-billion-baht stimulus budget, Ms. Sirikanya did not oppose the general objectives but criticized the rushed and flawed execution. She referenced previous failures during COVID-19 stimulus efforts, which led to ineffective and potentially corrupt projects due to tight deadlines. This time, water projects were given just two days to submit plans, extended to five after backlash — still inadequate for proper planning.
She warned this favors agencies with “ready-made” proposals over those with genuinely needed projects, distorting fairness in project selection. Ms. Sirikanya suggested a hybrid model combining top-down government priorities with bottom-up local proposals, including centralized initiatives like upskilling programs.
When asked whether current tensions among coalition parties might impact the vote on the budget, she admitted: “It’s possible.”