BANGKOK, March 20 — Thailand is set to tighten oversight of fuel prices and stock levels as authorities move to prevent shortages, following a surge in demand driven by public anxiety.
The Energy Business Department's deputy director-general Wutthitat Tantives said a draft regulation is being prepared that would require oil traders to report daily prices and stock levels at depots.
“The regulation is intended to ensure transparency and build public confidence that there will be no fuel shortages in the system,” he told the media after a meeting of the Centre for Monitoring and Managing the Middle East Conflict Situation today.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said public concern had driven a surge in fuel consumption, with authorities working to manage the situation, ease anxiety and restore fuel distribution to normal levels as soon as possible.
Wutthitat added that the Energy Ministry has coordinated with the Royal Thai Police to allow oil tanker trucks to operate nationwide around the clock to speed up fuel distribution.`
Cooperation has also been sought from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Transport Ministry to help facilitate logistics.
Meanwhile, domestic oil reserves, together with incoming imports, are sufficient for up to 104 days.
He said that fuel consumption has begun to ease towards normal levels, similar to the period before the unrest in West Asia.
Earlier this month, the government introduced measures to curb energy consumption, including work-from-home arrangements for public sector employees, limits on official travel, and setting air-conditioning temperatures at 26°C to 27°C.
Authorities have also temporarily suspended fuel exports and stepped up efforts to secure additional oil supplies from outside the Gulf region to safeguard domestic availability.
