Sathit scrutinized the daily survival budget, describing citizens’ taxes as merely “routine expenses.” He noted that national public debt has reached its ceiling, and combined with Thai household debt, the country ranks 7th globally. He advised the government to urgently implement five measures and work together on solutions instead of relying on rhetoric and repeating old borrowing-and-distributing patterns.
At 14:25 on 1 Jul 2026 GMT+7, during the third consecutive day of the House of Representatives meeting chaired by First Deputy Speaker Mallika Jiraphanwanit, the 2027 fiscal year budget bill of 3.788 trillion baht was debated. Sathit Wongnongtoei, a party-list MP from the Democrat Party, stated this budget review is historic as leading government ministers acknowledged that the current budget structure will prevent the country from progressing in 2–3 years and cannot solve national problems. Opposition MPs criticized the government for a daily survival budget with no future, meaning all annual income is spent on routine expenses with no investment funds, forcing near-maximum borrowing. Public debt has overwhelmed the country, with huge principal and interest payments. Citizens face hardship paying taxes, commuting amidst high fuel prices, and the household debt crisis is alarming—at 91% of GDP, exceeding the 80% global standard. Over 25.5 million Thais, more than one-third of the population, are indebted.
"According to 2023 statistics, Thais have an average of 3.3 debt accounts each—for example, one person may hold two credit cards and one car loan—which is very concerning. This will compound the budget structural problems in the future because Thailand’s household debt ranks among the top 10 globally; the latest survey places Thailand 7th worldwide. The overwhelming national and household debts will worsen budget structural issues. I appreciate the Minister attached to the Prime Minister’s Office for admitting the budget structure has problems. How to ensure these statements do not remain mere rhetoric in Parliament? This is a major challenge for both Parliament and government to address together. We must prevent this from being just rhetoric that ends after the budget vote, only to repeat the same budget next year," Sathit said.
Sathit continued with five proposals for the government: 1) Stop borrowing to hand out funds and stop misleading the public that borrowed money is not their burden, especially the 400 billion baht loan under a government decree with 1.2% interest, costing 4.2 billion baht per year. Budget must include taxpayer money to pay principal and interest; citizens must be told the truth that loans have costs and are a burden they must bear. 2) The government must be honest about the current national fiscal status. 3) Stop projecting wealth beyond the country's means, as Thailand is not as wealthy as the Prime Minister’s image. We must begin reforming the annual budget structure. 4) Find ways to increase revenue. 5) The government must strictly close loopholes, especially in combating corruption related to government budget funds—the biggest vulnerability—including kickbacks and under-the-table payments. Past exposures revealed some budget committee rooms allowing negotiations and beneficiaries involved in budget allocations near the main budget review room. This must not happen again this year or next. The Democrat Party is ready to support with knowledge and experience as this concerns the country’s future. But if things continue as before, after this budget, everything will revert, and the country will have no future.