Nattapong launched the “Hack Budget 70” event, pointing out that Thailand's budget structure remains problematic and unchanged, characterized by low investment, corruption, and lack of future vision. He recommends zero-based budgeting as a solution and calls for collective vigilance over suspicious annual spending.
At 09:00 on 11 July 2026 at the Parliament, Mr. Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives and head of the People's Party, opened the “Hack Budget 70” event organized by the Parliamentary Budget Study and Oversight Committee.
Mr. Nattapong stated that overall, Thailand’s investment budget, which builds the nation's future, is squeezed down to just one-fifth of fiscal space. Investment spending accounts for 21% of total expenditures—a figure consistent since 2016. This reflects a structural problem in Thailand’s budget system, where most funds go to recurring expenses, leaving little fiscal room for future investments. Thailand’s budget faces three key issues: lack of future investment, corruption problems, and politicians focusing only on short-term popularity rather than long-term policies.
Comparing the total annual budget expenditure as a percentage of GDP shows it stands at 18%, with investment at 4% of GDP. However, some expenditures are outside central government control. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) study found that Thailand’s central government spending is comparable to developed countries, but total public spending—including local agencies—is much lower. Compared to other countries, expenditures are typically decentralized to local units and other state bodies. Currently, MPs and citizens tend to focus on the central government budget, overlooking other budget areas that are vital for national development.
Examining per capita budget distribution by province reveals concentration in major cities. Bangkok receives the highest per capita budget at 22,493 baht, whereas the Northeast region has much lower per capita funding, with the lowest at 5,517 baht per person. This likely reflects inequality in budget allocation.
Additionally, Thailand’s budget structure suffers from public debt issues. The country has public debt levels comparable to developed nations, yet government revenues remain much lower, highlighting a long-standing structural budget problem.
“Thailand’s budget is moving forward amid widening inequality, while state revenues do not grow correspondingly. Public debt is problematic, funds are limited, and borrowing is used for giveaways rather than investment. Our country is increasingly without a future.”
Looking back, Thailand’s budget structure has never changed; it is based on historical precedent with no fresh thinking from governments for future generations. The People's Party aims to implement zero-based budgeting. Although the government claims to apply zero-based budgeting for 2027, reviewing the 300 projects with the largest budgets shows 95% are continuations from 2026. Thus, the 2027 budget reflects that most projects are carried over from the previous year.
Mr. Nattapong said that to address these structural budget issues, the People's Party has prepared several bills: the Budget Procedure Act, the Parliamentary Budget Analysis Institute Act, and the Procurement Act. These aim to make Thailand’s budget transparent, accountable, efficient, and closely linked to the people.
Mr. Nattapong noted that both government agencies and the private sector agree that budget and bureaucracy reforms are needed now. Mr. Pradorn Prissanantakul, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, said the government intends to start budget cuts this year. Therefore, we must monitor their genuine commitment to success, not just rhetoric. For example, Ms. Sirikanya Tansakul posted yesterday about a local government energy transition plan funded by 400 billion baht in loans, which was canceled the following day. The plan involved budgets for solar stadiums and electric garbage trucks. Without her post, would the cancellation notice have been issued? Today, he urges everyone to watch for irregularities in the annual expenditure budget and raise their voices.