Bangkok: "Thepthai" predicts that the 400 billion baht loan decree is merely a ploy to boost the government's popularity. "Thepthai" points out that even though the emergency decree for borrowing 400 billion baht has passed, society still harbors doubts that the money was borrowed to gain votes. Political observer Thepthai Senpong posted a message on his Facebook page, "Thepthai - Political Talk," stating that the Emergency Decree on Loans: Borrowing to gain government support.
According to Thai News Agency, following the Constitutional Court's 7:2 ruling that the government's issuance of the emergency decree to borrow 400 billion baht did not violate Article 172 of the Constitution, although not a unanimous decision, the court's ruling must be respected and accepted. It is the duty of the opposition parties to scrutinize how the borrowed funds are used in various projects, and all citizens, as the owners of the borrowed money, must also monitor and scrutinize the process.
The first tranche of 200 billion baht, borrowed by the government to provide relief to the public and address the crisis of high oil prices, was used in the "Thai Helps Thai Plus" project. This project has been in operation for two months, but the economic impact has not yet been significant. There are still two more months of the project to be implemented. If, after four months, the economy has not improved, what will the government do? Where will it find more funds to provide further assistance to the public?
Regarding the additional 200 billion baht loan the government has taken out for clean energy transition projects, there is still no clear plan. These are long-term projects, not urgent ones. Many parties agree with the minority opinion of the Constitutional Court judges because most clean energy transition projects focus on installing solar panels, which require importing components entirely. There are no projects to assist farmers in incorporating domestically produced agricultural goods into clean energy projects, such as biodiesel projects using palm oil to support palm oil farmers, or ethanol projects using agricultural raw materials, thus benefiting farmers.
Although the emergency decree for borrowing 400 billion baht has legally legitimized the government, it has not instilled legitimacy in the public's perception. It is widely known that the government borrowed the money for election campaigning rather than genuinely addressing the country's economic problems.