Bangkok: The '69 Budget Committee' has unanimously decided to reduce the House budget by 178 million baht, a move driven by concerns over potential legal issues under Section 144. This decision was made during a meeting of the Special Committee to discuss the draft Budget Act for the Fiscal Year 2026, chaired by Mr. Chulaphan Amornvivat, Deputy Minister of Finance, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Committee.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Chulaphan highlighted that the Office of the Secretary-General of the House of Representatives had been subject to a petition filed with the Constitutional Court. The petition addressed the involvement of House members in proposing amendments or actions related to the 2026 budget. This petition was accepted for consideration by the Constitutional Court on July 17. To maintain transparency and avoid potential violations of Article 144, Mr. Chulaphan urged the committee to consider a budget reduction for the Office of the Secretary-General, which encompasses three projects aimed at promoting democratic participation and political freedom.
Mr. Phanthil Nuamchim, a committee member and Bangkok MP from the Prachachon Party, expressed concerns that immediate budget reductions might impact the Constitutional Court's forthcoming decision on August 1st. In response, Mr. Phrits Wacharasindhu, MP for the People's Party list, suggested involving a law firm to confirm that the budget adjustment would not affect the petition's status.
Pol. Lt. Col. Aphat Sukhanan, Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, clarified that similar petitions in 2025 were not accepted by the Constitutional Court. He explained that the 2026 proposal continued existing projects and did not originate at the Special Committee level. The Constitutional Court had requested additional documentation to clarify the Office's proposal.
Despite ongoing debates within the committee regarding the potential impact on the Constitutional Court petition, Pol. Lt. Col. Aphat proposed withdrawing the three projects to expedite the process. Mr. Chulaphan then prompted the committee to vote on the budget adjustment.
Ultimately, the committee voted in favor of the budget reduction with 45 members agreeing, none opposing, two abstaining, and one member choosing not to vote. The meeting concluded with a consensus to cut the budget for the Secretariat of the House of Representatives by 178 million baht.