The Finance Secretary explained that in the 2027 fiscal year budget, the government will use an infrastructure mutual fund instead of the central budget. He also announced plans to submit Student Loan Fund debt data to the credit bureau, confident that the data on over 19 million impoverished people is comprehensive and accurate. ','tags':['Finance Ministry','Budget','Student Loan Fund','Credit Bureau','Social Welfare']
At 11:30 a.m. on 8 July 2026, during the special committee meeting on the draft 2027 fiscal year budget bill, Mr. Lawaron Saengsanit, Finance Secretary, addressed issues and answered questions from the committee on five topics: budget, welfare card, Student Loan Fund debt, fiscal discipline, and informal debt problems. ','tags':['Finance Ministry','Budget Meeting','Student Loan Fund','Fiscal Discipline']
The first issue concerned the limited budget. Mr. Lawaron acknowledged that this year’s budget is indeed limited. Therefore, in 2027, the ministry will begin using a tool called the Infrastructure Fund to raise capital for investment in public services, replacing the constrained state budget. He also noted that while some may worry about cost differences, if the fund's design balances investments in new projects (Greenfield) and upgrades to existing ones (Brownfield) appropriately, financial costs can be reduced. ','tags':['Budget','Infrastructure Fund','Public Investment','Financial Management']
The next topic was the state welfare card, for which a new registration round has opened today, divided into three groups: ','tags':['Welfare Card','Social Welfare','Registration']
1. Existing cardholders, numbering over 13 million people. ','tags':['Welfare Card','Existing Beneficiaries']
2. Individuals listed in the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s database. ','tags':['Social Development','Welfare Card']
3. Those who remain genuinely poor and outside the system, numbering over 5 million people. ','tags':['Poverty','Social Welfare']
He added that the latest field survey, which included follow-up local community assessments, gathered data on more than 19 million people, considered the most complete dataset. The committee will consider both old and new selection criteria together, with results announced on Tuesday, 14 July. Those who do not qualify can check reasons on the website. He acknowledged that while many people in Thailand are poor, levels of poverty vary; the welfare card will prioritize the poorest first, requiring a ranking system. ','tags':['Welfare Card','Poverty Data','Social Policy']
Next, regarding the Student Loan Fund (SLF), there are current problems with the agency’s app and website showing borrower debt balances that do not match actual payments, causing concern among some borrowers. Mr. Lawaron admitted that the app and website systems are still unstable, and the discrepancies arise from a new law requiring that when borrowers make repayments, principal is deducted before interest. ','tags':['Student Loan Fund','Debt Management','Technology Issues']
Initially, the committee had two options: to apply both old and new methods to calculate debt over time or to use only the new method for all debt calculations. The committee chose the first, more complex option, as it benefits borrowers more. Calculating both simultaneously is difficult; currently, about 18,000 borrowers fall into this category and their cases must be manually calculated. ','tags':['Student Loan Fund','Debt Calculation','Borrower Support']
Regarding plans to submit debt tracking data to the National Credit Bureau, Mr. Lawaron said this aims to implement more effective debt collection policies. Including borrowers in the credit bureau’s data is beneficial because SLF debts are usually the last debts repaid—borrowers typically clear house and car loans first. This delay is problematic because outstanding SLF funds are money intended to be lent to new students. ','tags':['Debt Collection','Student Loan Fund','Credit Bureau']
On fiscal discipline, the Finance Secretary explained that previous budget laws often faced issues with insufficient appropriations, forcing the use of actual treasury funds. For the 2027 budget, the Finance Minister wants to avoid repeating this. Therefore, some project investments will shift to the Infrastructure Fund, reducing the risk of under-budgeting and the need to cut the 2029 budget. ','tags':['Fiscal Discipline','Budget Management','Infrastructure Fund']
Another issue is a loophole in fiscal discipline law Section 28. Mr. Lawaron said that previously, ministries requesting funds submitted projects for Cabinet approval and often received lump sums. The new rule resembles central budget procedures: ministries must first agree with the Finance Ministry before submitting requests to the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister agrees, funds under Section 28 can be used. This process enhances budget efficiency. For 2027, revenues are insufficient to cover expenses, but the Finance Ministry is committed to solving this and is preparing a national revenue reform plan, seeking committee support when submitting it to Parliament. ','tags':['Fiscal Discipline','Budget Law','Revenue Reform']
The final topic was informal debt problems. Mr. Lawaron said technology has brought changes through credit scoring called Ari Score, which acts like a credit bureau for small borrowers. Since the Finance Ministry lacks enforcement units against informal lenders, it sees the problem as people borrowing outside the system because they cannot access formal credit. The Ari Score system will open access to formal loans without relying on credit bureau blacklists but on a current, adjustable score. The plan will be proposed to the Cabinet in July. ','tags':['Informal Debt','Credit Scoring','Ari Score','Financial Inclusion'] }]} }