Parliament on Tuesday passed a 3.19 trillion baht annual budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year, handing another victory to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha who survived a no-confidence vote last month in which the opposition had accused him of mismanaging the economy.
The spending plan, which also includes a deficit of 695 billion baht, for the fiscal year starting Oct 1 received the backing of the majority of 500-seat lower house during the final vote. While a total of 258 lawmakers supported the budget, 180 members voted against it after a five-day debate.
