Abhisit Vejjajiva, leader of the Democrat Party, criticized the government for shifting the oil burden onto the Oil Fund, condemned the trillion-baht Landbridge project as not worthwhile, and warned that a monopolistic regime risks an unhappy ending.
On 23 May 2026, Abhisit Vejjajiva, party-list MP and Democrat Party leader, spoke about the government's economic management direction, especially concerning the root causes of high oil prices. He said the government has not seriously addressed the core issues it previously promised to fix, including managing the abnormally high refining margins and ending the reference to Singapore market oil prices.
Abhisit stated that once public pressure subsided, the government shifted the responsibility to the Oil Fuel Fund to stabilize pump prices. He said this behavior essentially passes debt burdens onto future oil consumers, contradicting sustainable energy structural reform. This results in the government spending large budget sums to temporarily assist citizens but leaving debt for future generations.
Regarding the emergency loan decree, Abhisit reaffirmed his stance that the government does not need to incur more debt but should instead reduce oil prices directly. This would more effectively address the economic problem while minimizing revenue loss. He also revealed that the Democrat Party will hold a press conference next Monday to introduce a tool for detecting budget irregularities, especially in AI-related projects within ministries that have had recent ministerial changes and have encountered issues.
Abhisit also addressed the Landbridge project worth over one trillion baht, scheduled for review next week. He pointed out that the same funds could comprehensively develop southern infrastructure at a lower cost. This includes constructing a motorway from Bangkok to the southern border, developing double-track electrified rail connecting to Malaysia, upgrading deep-sea ports on both the Ranong and Gulf of Thailand sides to link with Penang port, and building connections between Koh Samui and Phuket.
When asked about criticism regarding the "Blue Regime's" monopolization of the country, the Democrat leader cautioned against rushing to conclusions. He urged people to consider historical lessons showing that political groups engaging in monopolistic or power-hungry behavior inevitably face unfavorable endings.
Regarding the People's Party proposal to establish a special committee to review the emergency loan decree, while the House Speaker sees it as not urgent, Abhisit said it is the Speaker's discretion since the Constitutional Court has yet to rule. Personally, he believes that once the government clearly initiates the loan process, the House should promptly hold hearings on the matter.