Public Opposes Bhumjaithai Bills Shifting Alcohol Tax Funding
Public hearings on four Bhumjaithai-backed bills to shift alcohol and tobacco tax revenue from Thai PBS, the Health Promotion Fund, the Elderly Act, and the Sports Act to the general budget have attracted overwhelming opposition. Support rates for each bill remain below 5%, while opposition exceeds 95%. The comment period ends October 14, after which Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will decide whether to endorse the legislation.
On October 12, 2026, reporters reported on the public hearings for four draft bills: the Thai Public Broadcasting Service Act, the National Sports Act, the Elderly Act, and the Thai Health Promotion Fund Act. The proposals seek to replace the current funding mechanism—where these agencies receive a share of alcohol and tobacco taxes—with direct allocations from the annual budget. Since the hearings opened on September 30, the Thai PBS bill has been viewed 160,000 times, with 56,491 people submitting comments; only 3.62% expressed support while 96.38% opposed. Similar patterns emerged for the other bills: the Health Promotion Fund bill drew 86,626 views and 40,692 comments, with 4.28% in favor and 95.72% against; the Elderly Act bill received 19,831 views and 9,291 comments, with 1.36% support and 98.64% opposition; the Sports Act bill logged 15,681 views and 7,710 comments, with 1.66% support and 98.34% opposition. The parliamentary website will continue to accept comments until October 14. After the hearing period ends, the Secretariat of the Parliament will compile the feedback and submit it to Prime Minister Anutin for his constitutional endorsement, as the bills involve financial matters requiring the Prime Minister’s approval before they can proceed to parliamentary debate.
