Thai House passes first reading of 2014 draft budget bill

BANGKOK, May 31 (TNA) - The House of Representatives has passed the first reading of the fiscal 2014 draft budget bill, proposed by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's coalition government, with the majority vote. The Thai House passed on Friday afternoon the first reading of the 2.525-trillion-baht draft budget bill for the 2014 fiscal year with the majority vote of 292:155, 27 abstentions and four no votes. The Thai House also set up a committee, whose members comprise 15 Cabinet members and 48 MPs from both the government and the opposition sides, to review and revise the draft budget bill within 30 days. A Royal Command of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the closure of the current special parliamentary session as of June 1 was then announced. The Thai House will later reconvene and MPs will carry on their deliberation of the fiscal 2014 draft budget bill in its 2nd and final reading. (TNA)