A People's Party MP urges changing the MPs' meal system to serving individual meals instead of buffets and supports reforming the MP assistant system to prevent simply hiring relatives who only collect salaries.
On 17 March 2026, Mr. Phanthil Nuamjerm, a People's Party MP, spoke regarding the proposal to cut the MPs' food budget. He said he and the People's Party agree with reducing unnecessary budget items but stress that reductions must be proportionate. Although Thai MPs' salaries are seven times higher than the minimum wage, some food budget should remain to maintain meeting efficiency. However, he previously opposed the food waste disposal budget, which is tens of millions of baht per year.
"We should not provide buffet-style catering all day that results in waste. Instead, meals should be served appropriately for each occasion, with snacks available for external agencies presenting information, to respect taxpayers' money," Mr. Phanthil said.
Regarding the issue of MPs having up to eight assistants, Mr. Phanthil noted that in today's technological era, this number may be excessive without clear key performance indicators (KPIs). He proposed strict risk and background checks to dispel the perception that politicians hire close relatives for conflicts of interest. He also called for publicly disclosing MP assistants' work so citizens can scrutinize it.
On the parliamentary members' fund, Mr. Phanthil revealed a concerning figure: the government currently subsidizes 700-800 million baht annually, while MPs contribute only one-twentieth of the subsidy amount. The solution is to recalculate the contribution formula to balance member savings with government subsidies, preventing long-term burdens on the national budget. He urged the public to monitor these budget reforms to ensure every tax baht is spent effectively and with clear targets.