The Cabinet meeting approved a budget of 8,978,267,690 baht to cover expenses for overseeing and managing the general election of MPs and a nationwide referendum held on the same day.
On 23 December 2025 at 10:00 a.m., in Meeting Room 501 of Government House Building 1, Mr. Sirinpong Angkasunglek, spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet had in principle approved the Office of the Election Commission (OEC) to request support from the fiscal year 2026 central budget reserve fund for emergencies or necessities, totaling 8,978,267,690 baht, comprising the following.
1. Expenses directly managed by the Office of the Election Commission amounting to 7,276,423,790 baht.
2. Expenses of supporting agencies involved in the operations totaling 1,701,843,900 baht.
The Office of the Election Commission and the supporting agencies involved are requested to prepare detailed operational and budget expenditure plans with supporting documentation for proper review, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations, while considering cost-effectiveness, economy, objectives, expected benefits, efficiency, and outcomes based on the State Financial Discipline Act of 2018.
The spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office stated that the Office of the Election Commission urgently needs to request support from the central budget reserve fund for emergencies or necessities to cover expenses for overseeing and managing the general election of Members of Parliament and the referendum, which are scheduled to take place on the same day. This is due to the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the decision to hold the referendum on the same day as the general election, as resolved by the Cabinet.