Weera Questions Court Budget of 37B, Official Clarifies Funds
Weera Theerapataranont questioned the Office of the Judiciary's 36 billion baht in cash and deposits, while Deputy Secretary-General Phop Akharaphanit clarified these are bound obligations.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Weera Theerapataranont raised questions regarding the Office of the Judiciary's 36 billion baht in cash and deposits.
- Phop Akharaphanit, Deputy Secretary-General, clarified that all funds have specific legal obligations.
- The majority of the funds consist of bail bonds, litigant deposits, and court fees waiting to be disbursed.
- Officials confirmed these are not state revenues available for discretionary spending.
During a budget review session, committee member Weera Theerapataranont questioned the budget requested by the Office of the Judiciary, which totaled 37 billion baht. Investigations revealed that the agency holds as much as 36 billion baht in cash or cash equivalents, comprising 48 million baht in cash, 38 million baht in petty cash, 26 billion baht in bank deposits, 689 million baht in fixed deposits, and 9.52 billion baht deposited with the Treasury.
Weera noted that these funds are deposited with the Bank of Thailand (BOT) similarly to current accounts without interest, and questioned whether this idle cash could be utilized to benefit the country and reduce the budgetary burden.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
In response, Phop Akharaphanit, Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of the Judiciary, provided a detailed explanation that the 36 billion baht financial statement has origins and mandatory obligations, making it unavailable for discretionary use. Out of the 27 billion baht in short-term and institutional deposits, the breakdown includes:
- 907 million baht in court fees and fine fees awaiting transfer at the end of the fiscal year from over 280 courts.
- 51 million baht in guarantor fine deposits awaiting remittance.
- 14.5 billion baht in central deposit funds stipulated by procedural laws and regulations.
- 437 million baht in litigant deposits for delivering legal documents nationwide.
- 43 million baht in arbitration remuneration deposits, with another 11 million baht allocated accordingly.
"Therefore, these are funds with obligations to be returned to either the plaintiff or the defendant. Sometimes property is deposited, and payments must be settled when the case concludes. This is not the court's revenue, but money that must be returned."
Phop Akharaphanit
Legislative oversight of state budgets is a vital mechanism for ensuring transparency and liquidity management within government agencies. The case of the Office of the Judiciary highlights the complexity of holding various fiduciary accounts in legal proceedings, where large balances largely represent trust funds awaiting legal settlement rather than discretionary surplus revenue.
Phop further clarified that funds deposited with the Treasury include 195 million baht for procurement contract guarantees under the Government Procurement Act, over 9 billion baht in court fees, 253 million baht in enforcement expenses, 93,000 baht for asset restoration, and 489,000 baht for examination fee deposits. All these funds are utilized strictly according to their mandated missions, and officials reaffirmed they do not constitute revenue for the judiciary.
Source: Matichon Politics
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