Poll pledges 'not sustainable'Listen to this articleThe Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) said the campaign pledges reported to the Election Commission by five major political parties taking part in the election on Sunday could place an unsustainable burden on the country's finances. TDRI researchers, led by economist Somkiat Tangkitvanich, reached the conclusion after assessing the estimated cost, sources of funding and implementation risks of the pledges, using the information provided to the EC by the parties. In addition, the TDRI study said several parties appear to have underestimated the true costs of their proposals. Such approaches, the TDRI warned, still create fiscal liabilities and are often not properly accounted for under existing fiscal discipline laws. The study warned that large-scale campaign spending could heighten fiscal risks, potentially leading to credit rating downgrades and limiting the country's ability to address long-term challenges such as its ageing population and climate change.

Source: Bangkok Post February 02, 2026 22:05 UTC