The government will begin dissolving and merging state agencies with overlapping or obsolete functions from September, as part of a broader effort to streamline Thailand's public sector and improve competitiveness, Deputy Prime Minister Pakorn Nilprapunt said on Sunday.
Mr Pakorn, who oversees legal affairs, said the reform drive reflects the need for government agencies to adapt to a rapidly changing global environment marked by energy challenges, rising fiscal pressures and increasingly complex trade and investment patterns.
The move follows Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's directive to overhaul the state bureaucracy and reduce institutional duplication.
The first agency slated for dissolution is the Land Bank Administration Institute (Public Organisation), whose mandate has been repeatedly extended over the years. The government plans to merge its functions with the Office of the National Land Policy Board, which already oversees land management operations.
The government will then review other agencies with potentially overlapping responsibilities, including the Strategic Transformation Office (STO). The STO was established by the coup leader's order in 2018, supposedly to drive national reform, strategy and reconciliation.
Four or five other public organisations that have repeatedly failed performance evaluations are also expected to face scrutiny.
The latest announcement comes as the government pursues wider civil service reforms, including a proposed early-retirement scheme and a plan to reduce the public workforce from about three million to two million employees in the coming years.
- Two options for staff -
Mr Pakorn said agencies would be assessed by the Office of the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission, while the Finance Ministry would evaluate state enterprises. The key criterion would be whether an agency's responsibilities duplicate those of another organisation.
To minimise disruption, affected personnel will be offered a choice - voluntary early retirement or transfer to another agency. Employees who are transferred will move to the pay and benefits structure of their new organisation.
Mr Pakorn stressed that the process would be gradual to avoid severe impact on staff.
Responding to concerns about possible protests from affected workers, he said reform must be driven by reason and the country's long-term interests.
"If Thailand continues to maintain the same bureaucratic structure, the country will struggle to move forward and keep pace with others," he said, urging all parties to prioritise national interests over personal interests.
