Despite repeated government promises to prioritise Phuket as a “pilot province” for economic recovery and innovation, new figures show that the island was ranked 75th out of 77 provinces in the latest budget distribution, receiving just B267.34 million ‒ a mere 0.17% of the total B157 billion stimulus package approved by the Cabinet in June.
MP Chalermpong, who represents Constituency 2 under the People’s Party (formerly the ‘Move Forward Party’), did not hold back in his criticism.
“This is the province that sends some of the highest tax revenues to the central government year after year,” MP Chalermpong said. “But when it comes to allocating economic stimulus, Phuket is at the very bottom of the list. It’s an insult ‒ and it’s unjustifiable.”
He pointed to data compiled by Rocket Media Lab that shows Nakhon Ratchasima received more than B3.5bn, or 3% of the total package ‒ nearly 13 times more than Phuket.
“Phuket is always mentioned in government speeches as a vital economic hub, but when the money is actually handed out, the reality tells a different story,” MP Chalermpong said.
He described the budget as a “political war chest disguised as economic stimulus”, adding: “It looks like gunpowder stockpiling for cronies ahead of the next election ‒ not a serious strategy for economic recovery.”
GLARING DISPARITIES
According to Rocket Media Lab, once Bangkok and Nonthaburi are excluded, Phuket’s share of the stimulus budget is the smallest in the country. In stark contrast, large inland provinces like Nakhon Ratchasima, Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai received significantly higher allocations.
“It makes absolutely no sense,” Chalermpong said. “Phuket is on the frontline of Thailand’s economic recovery. We’re one of the country’s key international gateways. And yet we receive just crumbs.”
He acknowledged that some funding may be hidden in departmental budgets rather than allocated directly to provinces, but said that was no excuse for ignoring the region’s urgent needs.
“There is no strategic thinking here ‒ just the same old top-down mentality,” he said.
LEFT BEHIND
MP Chalermpong said Phuket had been repeatedly promoted by the government ‒ under both former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and now-sidelined Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who still serves as the Pheu Thai leader ‒ as a testbed for progressive policies, from visa exemptions to cannabis liberalisation.
“They come here and talk about Phuket being the gateway, the model, the future,” he said. “But when it’s time to put real money into reviving the economy, we’re forgotten.”
He warned that the consequences of poorly planned policies ‒ including visa loopholes exploited by illegal tour operators and the reputational impact of unregulated cannabis use ‒ have already begun to erode Phuket’s appeal to quality international tourists.
“These are national-level issues affecting our local economy, and yet we’re left to fend for ourselves with the smallest budget in the country,” he said.
POLITICAL PAYBACK?
MP Chalermpong suggested that politics may be playing a role in the budget snub, hinting that Phuket’s representation by the opposition People’s Party may have influenced the allocation.
“Is it because the MP from Phuket doesn’t have the right surname?” he said. “Is it because I’m not part of the ruling coalition, so the province gets punished?”
He added: “People are watching. This kind of behaviour ‒ rewarding provinces that align politically and starving those that don’t ‒ is the exact opposite of what a fair and democratic government should be doing.”
Chalermpong said the latest budget controversy underscored the urgent need to decentralise fiscal power and give provinces more control over their own economic futures.
“If this is how the central government plans to allocate national funds, then we need to change the system,” he said. “Let each province develop its own economic stimulus plan. We understand our local economy far better than a ministry in Bangkok does.”
He argued that direct allocation of funds to the provinces ‒ rather than through central ministries ‒ would result in faster, more targeted development.
“Imagine if even a fraction of this 157-billion-baht budget had been entrusted directly to Phuket,” he said. “We could have launched real initiatives ‒ supporting tourism operators, developing high-value products, expanding markets. That’s how you stimulate an economy.”