Lawmakers back B400bn loan panel

MPs question govt's borrowing decree

PUBLISHED : 5 Jun 2026 at 05:22

Opposition and coalition lawmakers are backing the creation of a special parliamentary committee to oversee spending under the government's 400-billion-baht emergency borrowing decree, although sharp disagreements remain over whether the loan is justified.

The agreement follows a House debate on motions seeking to establish a special committee to scrutinise spending under the emergency decree, which authorises the Finance Ministry to borrow 400 billion baht to address the impact of the energy crisis and support the country's energy transition.

Opening the debate, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the opposition People's Party and its party list MP, accused the government of using the decree to bypass House scrutiny.

Finance expenditures that should have been included in the normal budget process, he said.

He questioned the allocation of 18 billion baht under the fund to the State Welfare Fund, arguing that the government had sufficient time to provide funding through the 2027 fiscal budget rather than relying on emergency borrowing.

"The public gains nothing from this approach. The beneficiary is the government," he said, alleging that the administration had chosen an easier route instead of reallocating spending within the regular budget.

He further suggested that the government was using special powers to avoid legislative oversight and raised concerns about potential favouritism in project procurement, referencing previous allegations surrounding the government's AI passport initiative.

Opposition Democrat Party MP Korn Chatikavanij, a former finance minister, said economic indicators did not warrant the emergency decree. He cited tax revenue figures showing collections exceeded targets by 31 billion baht during the first seven months of the fiscal year.

He also noted that the government's cash balance stood at nearly 300 billion baht at the end of April, while the economy grew by 2.8% in the latest quarter, surpassing expectations.

He also pointed to record-high international reserves of about 10 trillion baht.

Supachai Jaisamut, MP of the ruling Bhumjaithai Party, said the decree was intended to address urgent economic problems.

However, he stressed that borrowing such a large sum required strict oversight. "Supporting the decree does not mean granting unlimited power," he said. "Every baht borrowed belongs to the people and must be carefully monitored."