Thailand Sets Goal to Spend 93% of Budget in FY2027
Thailand's cabinet has approved a fiscal acceleration plan for FY2027, seeking to spend at least 93 percent of the 4.31 trillion baht budget to stimulate the economy. The plan also sets a 95 percent disbursement target for state enterprise investment and requires commitment debt to be incurred by the second quarter of the fiscal year. Detailed measures guide ministries and agencies on expediting spending, reporting progress, and linking performance to evaluations and personnel decisions.
Ekkanit Nithithada Praphas disclosed that, following the cabinet meeting on September 29, 2027, the government adopted a set of measures to speed up budget disbursement and expenditure for FY2027. The goal is to move the money from the annual expenditure budget into the economy continuously and quickly, using the measures as a guideline for accelerating the disbursement of carry‑over funds, regular budget, and state enterprise investment funds, covering both on‑budget and off‑budget money to align with national targets. For FY2027, the total government funds amount to 4.31 trillion baht, comprising 244 billion baht of carry‑over budget from FY2026, 3.79 trillion baht of regular annual expenditure, and 279 billion baht of state enterprise investment. Targets include: at least 75 percent disbursement of capital expenditure, at least 98 percent of current expenditure, and at least 93 percent overall expenditure; plus 100 percent use of budget (commitment debt) for capital, current, and overall expenditure. State enterprise investment disbursement must reach no less than 95 percent of its budget. Agencies are required to: (1) expedite disbursement of committed carry‑over funds from FY2026, completing payments according to contracts or obligations, and if commitment debt cannot be incurred by March 31, 2028, the Ministry of Finance may refuse to extend the FY2026 budget disbursement; (2) for FY2027 regular budget, ensure capital commitment debt is completed by Q2, otherwise move items to a draft budget transfer law for priority items; accelerate training, meeting, and seminar expenses by Q3; have deputy ministers and supervising ministers oversee agencies to meet targets and use commitment and disbursement results for performance evaluation and personnel actions; require agency heads to manage and report progress on capital expenditure to the Comptroller General’s Department by the fifth of each month for cabinet review; and have the Budget Bureau use FY2027 regular expenditure disbursement results to allocate the FY2028 regular budget.
