The government shrugged off a threat by the opposition to vote down the 3.18-trillion-baht budget bill for fiscal 2023, saying it expected the bill to be passed in its second and third readings by Tuesday night.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), called a short meeting of the party's MPs ahead of a House meeting held later in the afternoon to deliberate the budget bill.
Following the short meeting, Gen Prawit said he wasn't worried about the opposition's threat to do whatever it takes to derail the budget bill.
He said he strongly believed the bill would sail through its two remaining readings.
The House meeting would never stop short either as government MPs had promised to ensure a quorum to always be present throughout, Gen Prawit said.
Atthakon Sirilatthayakon, a PPRP list MP speaking in his capacity as secretary of the government whip, said Gen Prawit stressed the need for all PPRP MPs to be present at the House meeting and its two readings from start to finish.
Nirote Sunthornlekha, a PPRP MP for Nakhon Sawan, said Gen Prawit had emphasised that all PPRP MPs must be present at the House meeting to ensure the bill was passed in the two remaining readings no matter how late the meeting dragged on.
As the government chief whip, Mr Nirote said, he had also sought the cooperation of all other parties in the coalition, namely the Democrat Party, Bhumjaithai Party and the small parties in trying as much as possible to keep a sufficient number of MPs throughout the meeting.
He also claimed he had reached an agreement with Dr Cholnan Srikaew, leader of the main opposition Pheu Thai Party, who assured him that the opposition would be present at the House meeting until it came to an end.
Dr Cholnan, meanwhile, affirmed the opposition's intention to vote against the bill in its second and third readings as it had done in the bill's first reading.
Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, a Democrat MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, said the government whip intended to get the budget bill passed in both the second and third readings all at once. He said the government cannot afford to allow the bill to be voted down.
