Bangkok: The Prime Minister affirmed that the government is urgently resolving the oil shortage problem. He believes that a new government will be formed next week and will have full authority to govern.
According to Thai News Agency, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul attended the "Meet the Press: One Month into the Global Crisis - Thailand's Plan to Respond in a Changing World" event to explain the situation and the government's response, as well as to foster understanding within the public, one month after the events in the Middle East that have impacted energy prices and the cost of living worldwide. The event also provided a forum for media and influencers to exchange views.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the war in the Middle East has caused energy security problems for all countries, leading to soaring oil prices. Many countries are experiencing oil shortages, and there are campaigns encouraging citizens to conserve energy. The current situation remains stable, despite attempts at negotiation to end the conflict, which have yet to yield results. Therefore, the public may have to cope with this for a long period, and the government must also have measures in place to deal with the situation.
The Prime Minister also apologized to the public for the turmoil caused by the oil price management. He explained that the government attempted to stabilize prices for the first 15 days to prevent hardship for the public and had adjusted accordingly. He had anticipated that the situation would not be prolonged, but today the situation has changed, and the conflict is unlikely to end quickly. Therefore, the government is focusing on managing the situation to minimize negative impacts on the public and businesses across the system, ensuring that expenses and the cost of living are managed as effectively as possible.
Regarding the fuel shortage at gas stations in some areas, the Prime Minister stated that the situation is beginning to ease. The Fuel Crisis Management Center (FCC) has addressed the crisis by integrating all agencies and working to reduce bottlenecks causing fuel congestion. This includes increasing transportation frequency and injecting fuel reserves to alleviate public panic caused by stockpiling, thereby building confidence. This has resulted in higher daily fuel demand. Furthermore, there are ongoing efforts to crack down on and prosecute those hoarding fuel, as well as halting price freezes to curb hoarding or illegal fuel sales for profit and reduce the burden on the Fuel Fund.
Regarding the cessation of price freezes, the Prime Minister confirmed that this is not a floating price of oil, but rather that the fuel fund will continue to provide subsidies, albeit at a reduced rate. This will allow the price to fluctuate according to global and neighboring countries' market mechanisms. Once oil prices are close to those of neighboring countries, it will help reduce smuggling to neighboring countries and ensure consumption is limited to Thailand. The government has reduced the subsidy rate from 24 baht per liter to 16 baht per liter, saving costs and budget. The government is striving to return the situation to normal. He reiterated that Thailand's fuel reserves, specifically diesel (excluding gasoline), are sufficient for public use at 67 million liters per day. The increased public consumption of 85 million liters during the crisis was due to panic. He assured the public that, under normal demand, fuel supplies would be sufficient until Songkran or even the entire year. He also confirm ed that measures are in place to prevent smuggling to neighboring countries for profit, and that current pump prices in Thailand remain lower than those in neighboring countries.
The Prime Minister also anticipates this week to be the final week for the caretaker government, as he has received the lists of nominees for new ministers from all political parties and the qualification verification process has been completed. On Monday, March 30th, there will be a meeting with relevant agencies to reaffirm the qualifications of the ministers before submitting the list to His Majesty the King. A new government is expected to be formed next week. The current caretaker government cannot yet issue policies that would bind the new government, and the use of contingency funds will still require approval from the Election Commission. He confirmed that once the new cabinet takes the oath of office before His Majesty, he will promptly coordinate with the Speaker of Parliament to allow the cabinet to present its policy statement to Parliament and immediately begin administering the country to address the situation.
The Prime Minister also urged the public to conserve energy and reduce oil consumption. He stated that if each family could save just one liter of oil, the saved oil could be used to support other measures, such as the "Half-Price Plus" scheme, which the Prime Minister confirmed would be launched immediately to help reduce people's expenses and stimulate the economy.
Regarding the handling of fuel shortages during the Songkran festival, the Prime Minister revealed that he had convened a meeting of all relevant agencies and provincial governors to inquire about the fuel situation. He stated that if the provincial governors can manage the fuel situation effectively, all provinces will have sufficient fuel for meetings during Songkran. However, if reserves are not met, the quantity may be insufficient. Therefore, he urged the public not to worry about not being able to return home, as all provinces have received instructions that gas stations on major routes will have fuel available. Furthermore, middlemen who supply fuel to industrial factories will no longer compete with the public for fuel at the gas stations, as the prices are no longer significantly different. Therefore, there is no reason for them to compete for fuel at the gas stations anymore.