Thailand's New Government Policy Program Criticized, Academia and Industry Question Implementation
Thailand's new government's policy program has been announced but faces widespread criticism from academia and industry for lacking concrete measures to address the energy crisis and economic problems stemming from the Middle East conflict. Economist Anusorn Thammajai pointed out that rising oil prices negatively impact the construction sector and urged the government to focus more on corruption. The Federation of Thai Industries emphasized the need for policy adjustments to cope with soaring oil prices and raw material shortages due to the Middle East war. The honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association questioned the feasibility of the policies, and scholars also criticized the composition of the new cabinet.
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- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 16:41
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BANGKOK (CNA) – Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently announced the new government's policy program, pledging to lead Thailand towards internal stability, strengthen economic competitiveness, and gain international trust. However, due to new challenges such as the global energy crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict, the Thai industry and academia lack confidence in the new government, criticizing its policies as empty and lacking concrete actions.
Re-elected Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently reported the policy program to the parliament. He stated that he would transform global crises into opportunities for economic development, promote economic structural transformation, and strengthen Thailand's international image and trust. Regarding the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, he proposed measures such as managing fuel and energy prices and increasing the use of biofuels.
However, the policy program has drawn widespread criticism from academia and industry.
The Bangkok Post reported today that economist Anusorn Thammajai pointed out that high oil prices have slowed down public and private construction projects, and many contractors have abandoned projects due to rising energy and material costs. He believes that Anutin's second term must pay more attention to the construction industry, as it is closely related to many industries and provides a large number of employment opportunities.
As a member of the People's Party, Anusorn called on the new government to address corruption, calling it a "hidden cost" that has plagued the Thai economy for decades. He told the Bangkok Post that the government should not only focus on policies to deal with oil price fluctuations, public debt, and the plight of small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasizing that anti-corruption must be a priority.
In addition, the industry also questioned the new government's policy direction, pointing out that measures to cope with soaring fuel prices must be implemented as a priority.
The Federation of Thai Industries stated that the Middle East war has broken out, causing serious impacts including soaring oil prices and raw material shortages, and believes that the government needs to adjust its policies to adapt to the current situation.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that although the government's policy program covers all areas, he questioned whether these policies can be effectively implemented.
He said: "These policies are similar to those proposed by the previous government. We don't know if and how the current government can translate these policies into actual results."
In addition, some scholars criticized the new Thai government's cabinet members for being similar to the previous one. Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, told Thai PBS that the new government's cabinet members are not much different from the previous one, and he questioned whether the new government can cope with new challenges. "Thailand is facing the impact of rising fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict, but the new cabinet members remain unchanged."
Aat Pisanwanich, a Thai international trade expert, told the Bangkok Post that government policies must have clear key performance indicators (KPIs), not just inspiring words. He pointed out that if the government cannot clearly define KPIs in its policies, the country will stagnate and fail to develop. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150413
Re-elected Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul recently reported the policy program to the parliament. He stated that he would transform global crises into opportunities for economic development, promote economic structural transformation, and strengthen Thailand's international image and trust. Regarding the energy crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, he proposed measures such as managing fuel and energy prices and increasing the use of biofuels.
However, the policy program has drawn widespread criticism from academia and industry.
The Bangkok Post reported today that economist Anusorn Thammajai pointed out that high oil prices have slowed down public and private construction projects, and many contractors have abandoned projects due to rising energy and material costs. He believes that Anutin's second term must pay more attention to the construction industry, as it is closely related to many industries and provides a large number of employment opportunities.
As a member of the People's Party, Anusorn called on the new government to address corruption, calling it a "hidden cost" that has plagued the Thai economy for decades. He told the Bangkok Post that the government should not only focus on policies to deal with oil price fluctuations, public debt, and the plight of small and medium-sized enterprises, emphasizing that anti-corruption must be a priority.
In addition, the industry also questioned the new government's policy direction, pointing out that measures to cope with soaring fuel prices must be implemented as a priority.
The Federation of Thai Industries stated that the Middle East war has broken out, causing serious impacts including soaring oil prices and raw material shortages, and believes that the government needs to adjust its policies to adapt to the current situation.
Chookiat Ophaswongse, honorary president of the Thai Rice Exporters Association, said that although the government's policy program covers all areas, he questioned whether these policies can be effectively implemented.
He said: "These policies are similar to those proposed by the previous government. We don't know if and how the current government can translate these policies into actual results."
In addition, some scholars criticized the new Thai government's cabinet members for being similar to the previous one. Yutthaporn Issarachai, a political scientist at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, told Thai PBS that the new government's cabinet members are not much different from the previous one, and he questioned whether the new government can cope with new challenges. "Thailand is facing the impact of rising fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict, but the new cabinet members remain unchanged."
Aat Pisanwanich, a Thai international trade expert, told the Bangkok Post that government policies must have clear key performance indicators (KPIs), not just inspiring words. He pointed out that if the government cannot clearly define KPIs in its policies, the country will stagnate and fail to develop. (Editor: Chang Chih-hsuan) 1150413