Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul
Thailand’s main opposition parties are seeking a court ruling on the legality of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s plan to borrow 400 billion baht ($12 billion) to deal with the fallout of the Middle East conflict and ease the cost-of-living crisis.
An emergency decree issued over the weekend allows the Ministry of Finance to raise new debt as a one-off measure to fund a planned cash handout to about 30 million people and assist farmers, fisherfolk and small businesses hit by soaring energy costs. The government plans to set aside 200 billion baht of the new borrowing to accelerate Thailand’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.