Veera proposed a 1-2 year freeze on civil servants' salary increases following Thailand's economic crisis. He stressed that civil servants must share hardships and prosperity with the public, noting that the private sector is also suspending employee raises to safeguard company futures.
On 7 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Veera Teeraphatranon, a special committee member, debated that the 13 billion baht budget for civil servants' salary increments and degree adjustments cannot realistically be cut because there is a fixed system for calculating salaries and degree adjustments. The Budget Bureau and Comptroller General's Department must allocate funds accordingly for raises and adjustments based on criteria. Under normal circumstances like previous years, there would be no problem. However, he proposed cutting the entire 13 billion baht plus an additional 12 billion baht proposed by the Budget Bureau from the central budget, totaling 25 billion baht, because given the current situation, government agencies should share the burdens and benefits with the public.
"Since the economic crises of 1984 and 1997, government agencies and those paid from the budget have never been affected. But if another crisis occurs, I believe government agencies should share hardships and prosperity with the public. Next year, if possible, I propose freezing civil servants' salary increases for 1-2 years to maximize the benefit of limited funds. I understand civil servants may be unhappy with this, but I am speaking the truth. The government is facing a severe crisis, and those in government agencies must make sacrifices. I trust that when voting, the majority of the committee will decide accordingly, which is also our challenge," Veera said.