The United Thai Nation Party affirms that its policy to provide a 200,000 baht combat allowance is achievable and will help elevate the quality of life for frontline conscripts across the country. The party revealed a budget of 4.2 billion baht, which it says is more worthwhile than wasting money on extravagant events.
On 29 December 2025 GMT+7, at the United Thai Nation Party (UTNP), Ms. Sasikan Wattanajan, deputy spokesperson of the UTNP, addressed criticism of the policy to provide 200,000 baht combat pay to soldiers. She said the policy aims to improve the quality of life and uphold the dignity of conscripts, especially the roughly 20,000 frontline soldiers serving along Thailand's borderlines. Most are conscripts and ranger soldiers from low-income local families who bear the responsibility of defending sovereignty with their lives. This policy is designed to provide concrete guarantees and restore morale, so that when these brave conscripts risk their lives for all Thais, their families will have better living conditions. Regarding the budget for this program, the party will manage the administration transparently, recovering funds lost to corruption in the public sector, which amounts to over 1.5 trillion baht annually from an average annual budget of 3.3 trillion baht. The goal is to convert this "stolen money" back into welfare, alongside generating new income by upgrading secondary provinces into new economic hubs to attract investment that will sustainably drive security sector welfare.
Ms. Sasikan added that the budget for increasing combat welfare for conscripts is 4.25 billion baht, roughly equivalent to the budgets spent on several major government events, some of which may not have been cost-effective. She said using a similar amount to care for soldiers' lives is beneficial because building sovereignty and safeguarding the nation's defenders are fundamental to the country. When averaged across Thailand's entire population, this amounts to about 60 baht per person, which is not much compared to the importance of maintaining security and protecting against all threats, including drugs and scammers. The United Thai Nation Party affirmed that if it forms the government, it will manage the budget with maximum efficiency to ensure every baht of taxpayers' money truly reaches those sacrificing along the borders.