Parliament Administration Committee Cancels Pay Raise for MP and Senator Assistants, Orders Review Committee to Study Staffing Structure Within 90 Days
Thailand's parliament has canceled a planned pay raise for MP and Senator assistants, citing economic concerns, and ordered a 90-day review of whether such positions are necessary at all.
On May 19, 2569, Parliament President Sophon Saram announced the decision regarding benefits and appointments of MP and Senator assistants. He explained that the previous parliament president had approved a pay increase, but the current administration believes implementing it during the ongoing economic situation is inappropriate. The Parliament Administration Committee held its first formal meeting and voted to cancel the raise and maintain the existing compensation structure.
Regarding public discussion about eliminating parliamentary assistant positions entirely, Sophon said he has established a committee to clarify whether such positions are necessary and at what compensation levels. The committee, chaired by Police General Prasit Tham Dee, will include experts from both the House and Senate, budget office officials, civil service commission representatives, legal department representatives, and external credible figures. The committee will deliberately exclude sitting MPs and Senators to avoid conflicts of interest.
The committee has been given 90 days to complete the study, ideally finishing by October, though faster completion is welcome if data is comprehensive. Sophon stated that the legislature will address any obstacles to parliamentary operations and implement necessary changes. When asked how the committee should proceed if findings recommend reducing assistant numbers, Sophon said policy has been set to follow whatever the study concludes, provided the data is complete. He noted that parliament regulations can be changed by the president according to national circumstances, and that nothing is immutable.
