Democrats Accept Court Ruling On 400 Billion Baht Loan

On July 9, 2569, at Parliament, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva stated that the party, as part of the petitioners, acknowledges and respects the Constitutional Court's ruling that the 400 billion baht emergency decree does not violate the constitution. However, the party has not yet seen detailed reasoning since today's announcement was only a summary of the verdict.

Abhisit expressed concern that this ruling could set a new precedent allowing governments to borrow during normal economic conditions if budget allocations are insufficient, potentially undermining fiscal discipline frameworks established by successive constitutions. Thailand has avoided such borrowing problems for decades, he noted.

Regarding the second tranche of borrowed funds for energy projects, Abhisit pointed out that even the Constitutional Court's ruling contained dissenting opinions questioning whether the funds met constitutional conditions. He called on the government to clarify the project details and allow all parties to participate in reviewing projects for efficiency and transparency.

Abhisit acknowledged that the court likely exercised caution to avoid hindering executive function, and that the current constitution limits the court's authority to assess urgent necessity while allowing interpretation of economic security concerns. He stressed the need for the government to present clear medium and long-term fiscal plans, including revenue increases and spending cuts, to avoid future borrowing needs.

On the energy projects financed by the second tranche, Abhisit expressed concern that while the government claims economic security justification based on oil import dependency, the current budget review process shows no detailed project information or clear vetting mechanisms.