Bangkok: The Ministry of Transport has announced an allocation of 261,000 million baht for the fiscal year 2026 budget, which is set to be presented to the House of Representatives from May 28 to May 31.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Suriya Juangroongruangkit, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, disclosed that the Ministry of Transport has received an initial budget allocation of 261,292 million baht for the fiscal year 2026. This marks an increase of 16,715.58 million baht, or 6.83%, from the budget received in 2025. The budget is divided into two main categories: regular expenses amounting to 30,666 million baht, which is a decrease of 43.3 million baht, and investment expenses totaling 230,626.33 million baht, reflecting an increase of 16,758 million baht or 7.84%.
The allocation of the 2026 budget, totaling 261,292 million baht, is distributed among nine government agencies, amounting to 200,756.18 million baht. Key allocations include the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, receiving 1,123.8 million baht, an increase of 99.28%; Department of Land Transport with 3,913.5 million baht, up by 7.1%; and the Department of Highways allocated 131,932.2 million baht, marking a 3.47% increase. Other allocations include the Department of Rural Roads, Department of Airports, and the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning, among others.
For state enterprises, the budget is allocated to five agencies, totaling 60,536.3 million baht. Notable allocations include the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand, receiving 33,258.17 million baht, an increase of 42.9%, and the State Railway of Thailand, which saw a decrease of 9.7%, receiving 19,418 million baht. Other state enterprises include the Expressway Authority of Thailand, Civil Aviation Training Center, and Bangkok Mass Transit Authority.
Mr. Suriya further highlighted that the investment budget of 230,626.33 million baht includes new items, consisting of a single-year item of 146,881 million baht, an increase of 6,551 million baht or 4.67%, and a new commitment item of 15,561 million baht, a decrease of 8,627 million baht or 35%.
The allocation of the 2026 budget will undergo its first reading in parliament from May 28 to May 31, before proceeding to the committee consideration and discussions in the second and third readings in August. The government and the Ministry of Transport are optimistic that the budget will be finalized and ready for announcement before the start of the fiscal year in October 2025, aiming to effectively drive the country's economy.