Jeab Amarat delivers a lengthy dramatic account that an MP's life is not glamorous, countering Dr. Warong's satisfaction in cutting food and welfare budgets. She reveals a net salary figure of 90,000 baht and complains about being overwhelmed by wreaths, merit ceremonies, and social taxes until her account is emptied.
On 16 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Amarat Chokpamittakul, former party-list MP of the Move Forward Party, posted on Facebook her opinion regarding Dr. Warong Dechkitvikrom, party-list MP of the Thai Pakdee Party, who proposed cutting MPs' food and welfare budgets. She said that the proposal to cut food budgets, pension welfare, and reduce MPs' assistants to the bone sounds good and seems like a crackdown on a profession already stigmatized by society, pleasing supporters. However, in reality, if the goal is to attract good politicians to replace the corrupt ones filling parliament, this proposal is full of bias and shows a lack of understanding of the political profession.
Some reductions are possible, such as reasonably lowering food allowances, but they should not be completely cut because MPs would waste time queuing for food themselves during parliamentary sessions, which have no lunch breaks and often run late into midnight or overnight. This issue should be balanced by the parliamentary affairs committee, not cut for show or satisfaction. MPs' salaries of just over 100,000 baht, after taxes and various fund deductions, leave a net amount of just over 90,000 baht, averaging a bit more than 3,000 baht per day. She then breaks down expenses roughly.
Ms. Amarat explained from personal experience that fresh flower wreaths cost between 1,200 and 1,500 baht each. On days with more than two funerals, the money is gone. This excludes ordinations, weddings, merit-making, Kathin, and forest monk robes ceremonies, which even when selectively attended add up. Assistance to the public in emergencies, such as transport and aid for the poor or disaster victims, sponsoring Children's Day events, sports teams, and other social activities, also add high costs beyond those of average professions. MPs of the Move Forward Party also allocate money for party donations. Politics is an unstable profession; banks hesitate to grant loans for houses or cars, there are no bonuses, and social taxes are higher than other jobs on average. Each term lasts four years, and nearly half of MPs do not continue after the next election. After their term, returning to their previous life is difficult and often unsuccessful.
If everything is cut just to look cool and satisfy supporters, ordinary people cannot survive. It's better to scrutinize attendance and punctuality than to impose harsh cuts. Young people with passion and ideals but no funds will not dare to risk leaving stable careers to enter politics. In the end, who will be left in parliament? Not ordinary citizens wanting to change the country, but those with money, power, or those seeking to protect their own and their allies' interests. If the aim is to remove corrupt politicians from parliament, do not make it impossible for 'good MPs' to enter.