EC analyst Thanit Sriprathet said the EC is given two types of funding by the Budget Bureau. One type is for expenses such as salaries, allowances and perks, and another is for development projects, investments and holding elections.

The Bureau had never allocated enough money for salary expenses, Thanit said. “We survive because we have leftover funds from the election, which is not a lot. The law does not require we give back the leftover money. We do not splurge.” He said the EC had been building 40 provincial offices using leftover funds and has never asked for more funds than for that purpose.

“If the Budget Bureau knows that we have a liquidity problem, it will allocate more funds,” he said.

Meanwhile, the EC rejected a budget proposal for the public referendum after it found that some projects were repetitive and unnecessary.

A new proposal would be submitted for Cabinet approval, Thanit said.