Lawmaker Flags Interior Ministry's High-Fee Training Programs and Stalled Construction
Lawmaker Sirikanya Tansakul challenged the Interior Ministry's practice of charging up to 200,000 baht per training course while requesting additional budget funds, and flagged delays in the ministry's administrative center construction due
On July 24, 2025, at Parliament, Sirikanya Tansakul, Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy party leader, discussed the 2570 fiscal year budget bill review by a special parliamentary committee examining the Interior Ministry's budget allocation. While the committee has already cut some items, particularly from the Department of Public Works and Town Planning, concerns remain about project allocations to elite-tier contractors and off-budget revenue schemes. The ministry has organized various training courses charging participants up to 200,000 baht each, generating tens of millions in revenue, yet still requesting additional central budget funds. The committee also noted delays in the Interior Ministry's administrative center construction. The ministry's permanent secretary explained that the contractor bid the project 50 million baht below market rate, making it financially unviable for timely completion. The contractor is the same entity facing financial difficulties and wage payment arrears across multiple state projects, while the project supervisor also has liquidity problems compounding delays. The project was originally scheduled to complete in 2569 but has only achieved one-third progress, causing operational damage as the ministry continues using outdated facilities pending completion of the new center.
