On May 29, a special parliamentary session was held to deliberate the 2026 annual budget bill worth 3.78 trillion baht, continuing into its second day.
At 8:45 p.m., Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit responded to an accusation by Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, MP and deputy leader of the People’s Party, who alleged bid rigging involving the Department of Highways and the Department of Rural Roads. Suriya criticized Wiroj for discussing such matters during a budget session, arguing it was inappropriate and should have been raised during a no-confidence debate. He suggested Wiroj focus instead on how the budget is distributed among departments and regions.
Suriya defended the budget planning process, stating it adheres to transparency and legal procedures, including guidelines set by the Comptroller General’s Department and the Ministry of Commerce, with e-bidding and budget reviews involved. He emphasized the improbability of collusion under these controls and cited relevant anti-corruption laws.
Regarding Wiroj’s claim of 80 elite contractors monopolizing bids and engaging in "kickbacks," Suriya denied the allegations, explaining that contractor classification is handled by the Finance Ministry. He cited financial data from 2020–2023 showing these contractors earned nearly 200 billion baht in total but averaged only 0.5% in profit, contradicting claims of substantial hidden earnings.
Suriya also rebutted allegations of project splitting to exclude regular contractors. Using Highway 118 as an example, he argued that breaking it into three segments would unnecessarily inflate the project’s cost. He contended that project structure decisions must account for engineering continuity, cost-efficiency, and contractor readiness.
Wiroj countered immediately, invoking his right to respond, citing observations from a working group led by Associate Professor Torsak Yomnak and data from the Comptroller General’s Department. He stated that a cap increase for first-tier contractors (from 600 million to 900 million baht) was opposed by the Highways Departments, delaying fair competition. He accused the departments of stalling under ministerial influence despite Cabinet approval.
He further noted that special-tier contractors who allegedly provide better outcomes actually cause delays and inefficiencies, often due to overbooking projects and poor liquidity. Wiroj presented statistics showing these contractors save only 0.4% of the budget compared to 17.1% saved by top-tier regular contractors, challenging Suriya’s narrative.
Wiroj emphasized that his role is to protect taxpayers' money, not defend private profits, and refuted Suriya’s characterization of his remarks as ill-timed. He stressed that budget deliberation is the appropriate venue to raise concerns over fiscal responsibility.
Following this exchange, some MPs protested the relevance of Wiroj’s speech, but the presiding chairman allowed him to clarify further. Wiroj concluded by drawing a sharp contrast between what he sees as his duty to protect public funds and Suriya’s defense of contractor profits.