The government secured overwhelming support in the House for the 2027 budget bill, with 338 MPs voting in favour, including 58 MPs from the opposition Klatham Party of Capt Thamanat Prompow.
The House on Thursday night voted 338-144, with two abstentions, to approve the 2027 fiscal budget bill, worth 3.78 trillion baht.
The voting results showed that most of the 338 votes supporting the budget bill came largely from coalition parties.
All voting MPs from the Bhumjaithai Party, the core coalition party, supported the bill. However, seven MPs from the party did not cast votes, including party leader and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is on an overseas trip.
The other Bhumjaithai MPs whose votes were not recorded were Samerkan Thiangtham (Suphan Buri province), Deputy Interior Minister Jeseth Thaiseth (Uthai Thani), Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Chaichanok Chidchob and party-list MP Chaichanok Chidchob, Traithep Ngamkamol (Buri Ram), Deputy DES Minister Nan Boonthida Somchai (Ubon Ratchathani), Worasit Liangprasit (Satun) and Ms Sudacha Sangthansap (Chaiyaphum).
Pheu Thai MPs also voted unanimously in favour, as did MPs from the coalition Prachachart Party.
Despite reports of internal disagreements within Prachachart and repeated comments by party leader Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, a party-list MP, about the Senate collusion case, both the party and Pol Col Tawee voted in favour of the bill.
The United Thai Nation Party (UTN) also backed the bill, although the vote of party-list MP Chatchawal Kongudom was not recorded. The bill also received support from both Thai Sang Thai MPs.
The bill additionally received support from 56 of the 58 Klatham MPs, despite the party being in the opposition. No votes were recorded for party-list MP Narumon Pinyosinwat and Srisak Chingnawan of Sa Kaeo. Small parties also voted in favour of the bill.
The opposition parties, People’s Party, Democrat Party, Thai Ruam Phalang Party, Seri Ruam Thai Party and Thai Pakdee Party, voted against the bill in line with their respective party resolutions.
The exception was Suriya Wong-aree, a People’s Party MP for Udon Thani, who is regarded as a political defector, while votes were not recorded for Flg Off Thanadet Phengsuk, a Bangkok MP from the People’s Party, Amphon Pinasa, a Democrat Party party-list MP, Chaichana Detdecho, another Democrat Party party-list MP, and Narongchai Weerakul, an MP from Ubon Ratchathani representing the Thai Ruam Palang Party.
Klatham leader Capt Thamanat earlier signalled his party had not ruled out joining the government.
Speaking before the voting, Capt Thamanat said Klatham would support the 2027 budget bill because much of the spending plan had been developed when he previously served as a deputy prime minister.