No checks on militaryListen to this articleThe recent decision by the caretaker government to classify the 2026 fiscal defence budget as confidential raises serious questions about transparency and accountability. Undeniably, the transfer further entrenches budgetary privilege for the military following armed clashes along the Thai-Cambodian border. Parliament approved more than 100 billion baht for the Defence Ministry without cutting a single baht -- the first time in years that the military budget was left untouched. Last month, the Anutin Charnvirakul government allocated more than 7 billion baht from the contingency budget to support the military. The military has been accused of engaging in information operations amid simmering border tensions, operations that fuelled ultranationalist sentiment and led many citizens to believe that armed conflict was inevitable.

Source: Bangkok Post January 16, 2026 23:34 UTC