Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul has instructed all government agencies to focus on necessity, value-for-money principles, and a zero-based budgeting approach in preparing the 2027 national budget, saying that the budget must be “targeted and precise," in response to the current crisis driven by global volatility and Middle East conflicts.

In delivering policy directives on the 2027 national budget preparation, the Prime Minister stated that budget preparation for the 2027 fiscal year differs from previous years, as Thailand is facing a highly volatile global environment. The Government, therefore, needs to adjust urgently by reducing budget allocations for non-essential projects to ensure maximum efficiency in budget spending.

He said that budget preparation must be in line with the “10 Plus” policy framework, aimed at leading the country to get through the crisis, laying down a foundation for sustainable development, and accelerating efforts to move Thailand away from the middle-income trap.

Emphasis will be placed on five areas, as follows:

1. Economic affairs: priorities include income distribution, economic restructuring, and the promotion of trade, agriculture, and tourism;

2. Foreign affairs and security: efforts will be made to strengthen Thailand's role on the global stage, accelerate its accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by 2028, and enhance border security and public safety;

3. Social affairs: education and healthcare will be improved, while families will be strengthened and communities will be empowered through the policies of "Ageing Plus" and "Equitable Education Plus;"

4. Disaster management and the environment: Water management and disaster response systems will be upgraded, together with advancing toward net-zero emissions by 2050 under the "Green Economy Plus" policy;

5. Public administration: Legal reform will be emphasized and the efficiency in the public sector will be increased toward becoming a fast, responsive government system, while suppressing structural corruption through the "AI Plus" and "Thailand Plus" initiatives.

The 2027 national budget is set at 3.788 trillion baht, an increase of only 7.4 billion baht, or 0.2 percent, from the previous year. The Prime Minister has also imposed a strict "golden rule" that additional budget requests by government agencies must not exceed 20 percent of the previous year's allocation and must be only for investment expenditures.