The cabinet has approved an additional 5-billion-baht contingency budget to support the armed forces amid border tensions with Cambodia.
The 5.05 billion baht will be allocated by the Ministry of Defence to the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Royal Thai Army, navy and air force. Details of the allocation remain classified.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul raised the issue during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, saying conditions in disputed border areas have yet to return to normal, according to government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat.
The prime minister said a large number of civilians remain displaced in evacuation centres and that financial assistance has not yet reached all affected individuals, prompting an urgent call for coordinated action.
About 400,000 civilians are estimated to have fled their homes since the latest outbreak of hostilities on Dec 7.
The cabinet also endorsed the prime minister’s directive for the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to consolidate data on evacuees without imposing redundant documentation requirements, to streamline relief and compensation efforts.
Separately, the cabinet approved an additional 206 million baht in contingency funding for the army to procure military equipment to enhance operational capability. The details are also classified.
Last week, the cabinet approved a contingency budget of 2.44 billion baht for the Ministry of Defence, requested by the army and navy, to support operations along the border in the 2026 fiscal year.
The government said the funds would be used to maintain troop morale and readiness to respond to external threats in emergency situations.