Warong dissects the disaster relief budget at the Ministry of Interior, demanding a 10% budget cut across the entire ministry. He points out that while the Prime Minister claims annual disaster relief costs of 40 billion baht, the actual average spending is 9.8 billion baht per year. He accuses the government of wasting funds by purchasing the world's most expensive insurance premiums.
At 11:07 a.m. on 9 September 2026 GMT+7. Dr. Warong Dechkitvikrom, party-list Member of Parliament and leader of the Thai Pakdee Party. He delivered a speech during the Section 20 debate. Regarding the budget for the Ministry of Interior, in the consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget bill, second reading, during a session of the House of Representatives, he said: "I propose a 10% budget cut for this ministry to emphasize the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). The public does not want financial relief; they want disasters to be prevented. The DDPM's core mission is disaster prevention, which is the crucial responsibility of both political leaders and civil servants."
"The Prime Minister stated that we spend 40 billion baht per year on relief, but the actual documents show this figure covers four years, averaging only 9.877 billion baht annually. Therefore, the Prime Minister’s decision to insure disasters with a 15.5 billion baht policy is unreasonable and unfair to the public because it references only the 2026 figure and wastes funds unnecessarily, contrary to academic principles." "The insurance premium ratio on a 15.5 billion baht insured amount, with a total insured value of 75 billion baht, is 20%. This implies major disasters occur on average once every five years. Globally, including according to the World Bank, disaster insurance premiums range from 4-8%. This government’s 20% rate is the highest worldwide. Therefore, it is inappropriate to calculate based on annual natural disaster occurrences."
Dr. Warong also proposed that the government follow global standards: if the insurance amount is 15.5 billion baht, collect 5 billion baht into a disaster fund, then purchase insurance from any number of companies. If damages exceed 10 billion baht, the fund covers it first, then foreign insurers step in. Continuing the current approach wastes taxpayers’ money and raises public suspicion about whether some parties seek commissions from the insurance arrangements."
