At 8:25 p.m. on May 29, a special parliamentary session convened with Mr. Pichet Chueamuangphan, the First Deputy Speaker of the House, presiding to deliberate on the 2026 fiscal year budget bill totaling 3.78 trillion baht—continuing into its second day.
Captain Thanadet Phengsuk, Bangkok MP from the People’s Party (Prachachon), addressed the budget allocation for the War Veterans Organization (WVO). He expressed concern over whether the 1.472 billion baht allocated actually benefits veterans as intended. The government subsidy covers operating costs (42 million baht), veterans’ aid (1.316 billion baht), support for the Veterans Hospital (99 million baht), network formation for veteran security (1.88 billion baht), and administrative expenses (12 million baht). Thanadet questioned whether these funds genuinely reach the veterans and improve their lives with dignity.
Thanadet noted that while previous budgets were not debated under the assumption of integrity, recent findings suggest that the WVO operates more like a profit-seeking entity benefiting private groups and middlemen at the cost of veterans' honor. He detailed discrepancies in benefits based on the classification of veteran ID cards, with the most severely injured receiving only marginal support compared to large bonuses distributed to the organization’s 12 executives.
He scrutinized several of WVO’s business ventures: lottery and cigarette sales, security services, a commercial factory, City Pillar Shrine management, energy businesses, a printing office, and agro-industrial services. Thanadet revealed that these businesses generate significant profits, but much of the money goes to executive bonuses rather than to the veterans. For example, from lottery sales alone, WVO executives received nearly 600,000 baht in bonuses, while injured veterans received as little as 2,000 baht annually.
He emphasized that while security service contracts number over 2,000 and employ nearly 23,000 personnel, very few are actual veterans. Factories act as middlemen rather than producing goods themselves. Even the City Pillar Shrine's revenues are redirected into executive bonuses.
Further, Thanadet accused the WVO director of nepotism, giving relatives VIP privileges at the Veterans Hospital, and questioned budget allocations, including 2.2 million baht spent on hospital renovations. He criticized the organization for betraying its original mission to serve veterans, becoming instead a profit-driven entity enriching its administrators.
He concluded by urging transparency and reforms to ensure that the budget genuinely uplifts the lives of veterans—those who returned from war with physical and emotional wounds, only to find their sacrifices undervalued. He called for restoring dignity to the veterans and honoring their contributions by ensuring they receive the support they deserve.