Sirikanaya debated the policy statement, criticizing the government for financial insolvency and revealing preparations to borrow 500 billion baht to support the economy. Meanwhile, senators warned the government that ignoring the 21 million votes calling for constitutional amendments would bring serious consequences.
On 9 April 2026 at 16:00, in the House of Representatives meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Parliament building, during the joint session of Parliament No. 1 (first regular session of the year), the Cabinet presented its policy statement to Parliament under Article 162 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand. Ms. Sirikanaya Tansakul, party-list MP of the Prachachon Party, stated that the economy is currently in a mode of high living costs, low growth, and high inflation. She noted that the government is preparing to issue the 2026 budget transfer bill in April-May, possibly as a budget reallocation before borrowing, reflecting the government's fiscal crisis. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance indicated it might be issued as a budget transfer royal decree, but this seems disadvantageous since it would be issued in the third quarter when over 60% of the budget has already been spent, possibly leaving no budget to transfer. If issued as a royal decree citing urgency, it likely cannot be done, as Article 11 of the Constitution requires the budget law to be passed as a bill. She urged not to bypass Parliament. Regarding the government's claim it cannot reduce excise taxes, this might be due to the country's fiscal situation being worse than expected; the central contingency budget has been nearly exhausted in the first four months, preventing excise tax cuts. Therefore, budget transfer bills and borrowing are necessary because the set budget is insufficient. She heard the government plans to borrow 500 billion baht to support the economy and questioned where the repayment funds will come from, fearing increased taxes such as exit taxes, excise taxes on oil, and VAT to raise funds for repayment.
Dr. Premsak Piyayura, senator, stated that the government's policy statement did not mention how it will proceed with constitutional amendments following the 21 million referendum votes. He urged the government to amend the constitution, and if it has forgotten, to add this commitment. He said constitutional amendments should be done alongside resolving economic and livelihood issues. If the government neglects the constitutional amendments, it will face serious consequences. He called for urgent action within this parliamentary session, not later than 2026, starting immediately, emphasizing that delays are unacceptable.
Senator Noraset Prachyakon argued that the government deliberately omitted any mention of constitutional amendments in its policy statement as a stance against reform, ignoring the people's voice, and trying to preserve the existing power structure. He believes the government thinks that by not addressing the issue, conflicts will disappear, but this actually undermines the government's legitimacy from the start. He trusts the government has not forgotten but fears losing power tied to the constitution. He urged the Prime Minister to choose between respecting the people's will or maintaining personal power. If 21 million people's votes are not enough, what level of public voice will be sufficient to prompt the government to change the country's rules?
