Pradorn revealed that the draft emergency decree for borrowing has not yet been brought to cabinet discussion soon, emphasizing that the first phase of the 'Thai Help Thai' project will use a budget of 20 billion baht starting in May 2026.
At 09:50 on 20 Apr 2026 GMT+7 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, Pradorn Prissanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and overseer of the Budget Bureau, spoke about issuing an emergency decree authorizing the Ministry of Finance to borrow several hundred billion baht to address the energy crisis. He said discussions are still needed to determine the necessity, and the government’s broader picture has not yet been deliberated. He acknowledged it is one possible approach but confirmed that the cabinet meeting has not yet discussed this matter. An economic cabinet meeting must take place first. Therefore, this will not happen in the near future. The government plans to hold economic cabinet meetings every Monday, pending a prime ministerial order, to screen issues before the full cabinet meetings.
Regarding progress on issuing the government budget transfer act, Pradorn said this cannot be enacted immediately. The 2027 fiscal year budget must first enter the cabinet meeting, expected in June. According to the constitution, compensation funds to the Treasury must be reimbursed at the earliest opportunity during budget preparation, whether the regular or mid-year budget. A budget transfer must be made to reimburse the Treasury debt, which currently stands at 70 billion baht, incurred during fiscal years 2024–2025. Therefore, if the budget transfer act is enacted, the funds must be used to repay this debt. Whether the full 70 billion baht debt or only part of it will be repaid remains a legal matter to be discussed.
Hence, it is believed that if a budget transfer occurs, the amount will not reach 70 billion baht. The goal of transferring budget funds for the 'Thai Help Thai' mission cannot yet be realized because the funds must first be used to reimburse the Treasury. The 2027 budget consideration must address this issue to be presented to the cabinet meeting, which, according to the schedule, will convene in June.
Pradorn said that the 'Thai Help Thai' (Half-Half Project) still has about 20 billion baht in the central budget, allowing the project’s first phase to proceed. This will significantly assist the public, expected to benefit over 10 million people, possibly starting in May. Afterwards, the government will manage funds from the budget transfer act.