Pheu Thai clarifies Constitutional Court petition to halt 400 billion baht emergency decree is not blocking aid; government can still proceed with half-and-half scheme
Pheu Thai is petitioning the Constitutional Court to review the government's 400 billion baht emergency decree, but clarified the challenge won't block emergency aid disbursement or the planned relief cash assistance program. The party aims
On May 9, 2025, Sirikunnya Tansukul, Pheu Thai party list MP and deputy party leader, discussed the party's efforts to collect one-fifth of parliamentary signatures required to petition the Constitutional Court for interpretation of the government's 400 billion baht emergency borrowing decree. She explained that signature collection is still ongoing because the emergency decree draft was only recently published in the Royal Gazette; signing beforehand would violate procedure. However, she expressed confidence they will secure all necessary signatures.
When asked if she was confident that the House speaker would not delay the process by requiring preliminary petition verification, Sirikunnya said she was confident the timeline would be met. When asked if she was confident the Constitutional Court would accept the petition, she stated the court should accept it. Regarding public concerns about delayed aid, Sirikunnya assured that the court petition will not block fund disbursement under the emergency decree, allowing the government to proceed with lawful actions.
The Pheu Thai petition would only suspend parliamentary voting, not the decree's enforcement. When asked if the government could continue its half-and-half cash assistance program, Sirikunnya confirmed yes, clarifying that Pheu Thai's petition concerns the energy transition portion, while the relief measures can proceed. The government stated it would secure funds in phases, with the first phase dedicated to relief measures.
