The cabinet on Tuesday approved a civil service reform programme aimed at reducing the public-sector workforce by 15% by 2032.
Rachada Dhnadirek, deputy government spokeswoman, said the measures include freezing the creation of new posts and gradually eliminating positions upon retirement to contain rising personnel costs. She said recurrent expenditure accounts for 70% of the national budget, with personnel spending making up a large share. The government also faces competing priorities requiring budget allocations, making workforce reform necessary.
The cabinet approved proposals from the Public Sector Workforce Targets and Policy Committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt.
Under the measures, requests for new civil service posts will be suspended. Agencies must maintain existing staffing levels and fill vacancies only when necessary through recruitment processes already announced or underway. Agencies must also consider abolishing unfilled professional and general-category posts for which no budget has been disbursed since Oct 1, 2024, unless recruitment has already been announced.
From fiscal 2028 to 2032, civil service positions vacated through retirement that had previously been replaced by government employees under existing workforce-management measures will no longer be replaced. Exceptions include medical and dental positions under the Public Health Ministry and prison personnel.
From fiscal 2027, 11 support-service categories will be eliminated upon retirement, including administrative, public relations, communications, audiovisual, library, and printing.