Cabinet Approves Civil Service Overhaul to Cut Budget Costs
Thailand's Cabinet approved a civil service overhaul to reduce budget costs, freezing new positions and phasing out vacant roles as personnel expenses consume 70% of the government's annual budget.
On August 11, 2569, at Government House, government spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek announced that the Cabinet has approved a civil service personnel management reform proposal led by Deputy Prime Minister Pokphand Nilpraphand. The reform aligns with government policy presented to Parliament and addresses the country's fiscal situation, where personnel costs consume 70% of the annual budget. The measures include: (1) freezing all new civil servant position allocations, requiring agencies to manage existing staff and fill vacancies only as needed from approved recruitment lists; (2) eliminating unused civil servant positions that have received no budget allocation since October 1, 2567, with reports due by December 2569; (3) phasing out positions vacated by retirement in fiscal years 2570-2575, particularly in support functions including administrative officers, public relations officers, communications officers, audiovisual officers, librarians, and various technician roles, with exceptions for medical and dental staff at the Public Health Ministry and correctional personnel. All government agencies must review their mandates, functions, and structures to align with personnel levels without compromising service quality.
