Bangkok: The Cabinet approved a budget of over 8.9 billion baht to manage the general election and the referendum, which is scheduled to take place on the same day as the general election. Mr. Siripong Angkasakulkiat, Spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office, announced that the Cabinet meeting approved in principle the Election Commission's request for budget support from the 2026 fiscal year budget, specifically from the central budget's reserve fund for emergencies or necessities, in the amount of 8,978,267,690 baht.
According to Thai News Agency, the approved budget will cover expenses incurred by the Election Commission itself, amounting to 7,276,423,790 baht, and expenses of supporting agencies involved in the operation, which total 1,701,843,900 baht. The Election Commission Office and supporting agencies are required to prepare accurate and complete operational and budget plans, along with supporting details, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. They must consider cost-effectiveness, efficiency, objectives, expected benefits, and the outcomes of the operations, as per the State Financial Discipline Act B.E. 2561 (2018).
Mr. Siripong stated that the Election Commission Office urgently needs to request budget support from the central government budget, specifically from the reserve fund for emergencies or necessary expenses. This is to cover the costs of controlling and managing the general election for members of the House of Representatives and the referendum scheduled for the same day as the general election. The urgency arises from the dissolution of the House of Representatives and the scheduling of the referendum on the same day as the general election, as per the Cabinet resolution.