BANGKOK: Thailand’s parliament approved the nation’s annual budget that seeks to ramp up spending on tackling the Covid-19 outbreak while slashing outlays for defence and education with the government revenue coming under pressure from a worsening growth outlook.
The 3.1 trillion baht (US$93bil or RM394bil) spending plan for the fiscal year starting Oct 1 received the backing of 257 lawmakers. A total of 189 voted against it and four abstained after a four-day debate, according to the results of a parliamentary voting yesterday.