Thailand's 2027 budget takes effect, 9.9 billion allocated to Royal Offices

Thailand’s fiscal 2027 Budget Act, worth 3.788 trillion baht, was published in the Royal Gazette and took effect on 1 October, after clearing the Senate and both chambers of parliament in September.

The Senate approved the bill on 11 September by a vote of 145 in favour to five against, with 12 abstentions. It had already passed its third reading in the House of Representatives on 10 September, by 338 votes to 144, with two abstentions, after Klatham Party MPs allied with the opposition broke ranks to back the bill. A special House committee had trimmed about 11.162 billion baht from the draft bill ahead of the final debate and reallocated the money elsewhere.

Among the thousands of line items in the budget is the allocation for the Royal Offices, which refers to a group of agencies administering the Royal Family’s affairs. Previously separate government agencies, they were brought under the Royal Offices in 2017.

For Fiscal Year 2027, the Royal Offices itself has been allocated around 9.904 billion baht, 632 million baht higher than the previous year. Other agencies were also allocated budget for tasks relating to the Royal Family. In total, the budget directly related to the monarchy is set at 22.41 billion baht.

Of all agencies being allocated budget for spendings directly related to the monarchy, the Royal Offices received the highest amount. With the exception of slight decreases between 2021 - 2025, its budget has grown steadily since the body was created. In Fiscal Year 2018, it received around 4.2 billion baht, but according to iLaw, the Bureau of the Budget’s spending record shows that the Royal Office used 6.39 billion baht that year after taking over the function and budget allocated to other agencies merged into it. By Fiscal Year 2021, its budget rose to 8.981 billion baht. It dipped to 8.475 billion baht in Fiscal Year 2025, before rising again to 9.272 billion baht in Fiscal Year 2026.  

In addition to direct spending, there are also other items indirectly linked to the monarchy scattered across budgets allocated to other agencies. Prachatai’s survey for 2027 found that around 18.018 billion baht have been allocated to projects initiated by members of the Royal Family or related to royal initiatives, as well as public service projects initiated by various ministries to “honour the monarchy.”

Opposition lawmakers have at times sought to cut the Royal Offices’ budget, but their proposals have been consistently rejected by parliament. Questions have also been raised about transparency as the Royal Offices rarely submit sufficient documentation explaining its spending.

This year’s debate, however, was markedly quieter. During the 10 September budget bill debate, People’s Party MP Sirikanya Tansakun told Parliament that the budget committee did not cut the Royal Offices’ budget. The Cabinet Secretary-General has provided the committee with a 17-page document and a video explaining the spending, which met the Bureau of the Budget’s requirement. She noted that the budget increase lines up with the rising number of staff in the Royal Offices as 16,000 people now work for the offices compared to 14,000 in 2023. She said she would not press an objection as she understands personnel costs cannot be cut.

With the fiscal 2027 budget now law, the next scheduled test of transparency comes when the Bureau of the Budget publishes the justification documents for the fiscal 2028 draft next year, the point at which outside researchers can again compare the Royal Agencies’ allocation and disclosure against the preceding year.