Bangkok: In the first quarter of 2026, Thailand experienced a 2.1% increase in primary commercial energy consumption, reflecting the nation's economic expansion. The Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) reported that this growth was primarily driven by increased use of oil, natural gas, and hydropower/imported electricity, aligning with the Thai economy's first-quarter growth of 2.8%.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Wattanapong Kurovat, Director of EPPO, disclosed that during the initial three months of 2026, primary commercial energy consumption reached approximately 2,080 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day. This marked a 2.1% increase in comparison to the previous year, fueled by a 5.0% rise in oil consumption due to heightened demand for refined oil products, a 4.6% surge in natural gas consumption for electricity generation, and a significant 19.1% increase in hydropower/imported electricity usage. Conversely, coal and lignite consumption dropped by 7.4% and 56.0%, respectively, due to reduced production.
The rise in energy consumption paralleled Thailand's economic performance in early 2026. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported that the nation's GDP grew by 2.8%, up from 2.5% in the last quarter of 2025. This economic surge was driven by advancements in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, including manufacturing and services. There was a notable 9.8% increase in goods exports, while real export value expanded by 15.5%. The tourism sector also saw a 2.2% expansion, with 9.32 million foreign tourists visiting Thailand, although this was a slight decrease from the previous year's tally of 9.55 million.
The detailed energy consumption pattern for the first quarter of 2026 revealed that refined petroleum product use increased by 4.9% to 153.5 million liters per day, alongside a 2.2% rise in the production of these products. Gasoline and diesel consumption rose by 6.3% and 5.1%, respectively, with aviation fuel consumption increasing by 4.3%. The consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) grew by 4.2%, with significant usage in the petrochemical industry.
Natural gas consumption rose by 6.9%, primarily for electricity generation, which saw a 9.4% increase. Overall electricity consumption totaled 51,127 gigawatt-hours, marking a 4.9% rise, with significant increases in industrial, household, and business sectors.
Despite the growth in energy consumption, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by 0.3% to 59.5 million tons of CO2. Additionally, the registration of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw a substantial increase of 68%, reaching 435,013 units by March 2026, highlighting the ongoing energy transition in the transportation sector.