The Senate has assured there will be no obstacles to passing the 3.78-trillion-baht fiscal 2026 Budget Bill, with discussions in the House of Representatives set to conclude within three days.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira chaired the ad-hoc budget committee that trimmed 8.92 billion baht from various ministries after the first reading in May. Major reductions targeted the Interior Ministry (2.148 billion baht), Parliament (880 million), the Transport Ministry (795 million), the Public Health Ministry (693 million), and the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry (459 million).
Of the reduced funds, 8.69 billion baht were redirected to priority projects, including the Orange Line railway construction (4.914 billion baht), preparations for hosting the 2026 World Bank and IMF annual meetings (1.568 billion baht), emergency aid reserves (1 billion baht), and contributions to the Social Security Fund (1 billion baht).
Senators stressed their role is limited to making observations, not amendments, and emphasized that swift approval is necessary to ensure timely disbursement of funds to support the economy. The Senate will review the bill on August 25–26 after it passes the House.