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Badly hit Thai economy raises scrutiny of even royal budget

Opposition party's call for funding cuts lays bare monarchy's spending power

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Late last Saturday night, as protesters upset with the government's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic battled police on the streets, four legislators from the opposition Move Forward Party (MFP) stood up in Parliament to demand greater scrutiny and deeper cuts in the national budget for royal agencies.

The fact that they did so was not surprising, given the young party's reputation for asking tough questions about Thailand's rich and powerful monarchy.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 26, 2021, with the headline Badly hit Thai economy raises scrutiny of even royal budget. Subscribe