Parliament on Tuesday passed a 3.19 trillion baht annual budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year, handing another victory to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who survived a no-confidence vote last month in which the opposition had accused him of mismanaging the economy.
The spending plan, which also includes a deficit of 695 billion baht, for the fiscal year starting Oct 1 received the backing of the majority of 500-seat lower house during the final vote. While a total of 258 lawmakers supported the budget, 180 members voted against it after a five-day debate.
The budget bill will now go to the Senate for approval within 20 days.
Gen Prayut and his government have come under criticism as they grapple with reviving the pandemic-battered economy. Thailand is on course to see the slowest expansion among Southeast Asian peers this year, with inflation hovering at a 14-year high.
Gen Prayut, who was the junta chief following a 2014 coup and stayed on as civilian prime minister after elections in 2019, faces a ruling by the Constitutional Court on his eligibility to stay on in the office. The opposition parties sought a ruling on when his term should end, saying that he would exceed an eight-year limit as stipulated by the 2017 military-backed charter if he stayed in office beyond Aug 23.