Thailand’s energy consumption rises 2.1% on 2.8% GDP growth

Wattanapong Kurovat, director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), has reported that Thailand’s energy situation in the first three months of 2026 showed primary commercial energy consumption at around 2.08 million barrels of crude oil equivalent per day, up 2.1% from the same period last year.

The increase was driven by a 5.0% rise in oil consumption, following stronger demand for refined petroleum products. Natural gas use rose 4.6% due to higher demand for power generation, while hydropower and imported electricity increased 19.1%, supported by rises in both imported electricity and hydropower generation.

Coal consumption fell 7.4%, while lignite use dropped 56.0% due to lower production.

The rise in energy consumption was in line with Thailand’s economic performance in the first quarter of 2026. The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported that Thailand’s gross domestic product expanded 2.8%, accelerating from 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by growth in both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, including manufacturing and services.

Goods exports grew 9.8%, while exports in real terms increased 15.5%. In tourism, accommodation and food services expanded 2.2%. During the first three months of 2026, Thailand welcomed 9.32 million foreign visitors, down from 9.55 million in the same period last year.

Refined oil consumption rises 4.9%

By fuel type, refined petroleum consumption in the first three months of 2026 stood at 153.5 million litres per day, up 4.9%. The increase came from higher use of fuel oil, kerosene, petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

LPG consumption within the refined oil group remained stable. Refined oil production was 185.9 million litres per day, up 2.2%. Refined oil imports stood at 5.0 million litres per day, up 33.7%, while refined oil exports were 20.2 million litres per day, down 15.7%.

Petrol-group consumption stood at 33.2 million litres per day, up 6.3% year on year. Diesel consumption reached 74.2 million litres per day, up 5.1%, partly due to uncertainty caused by the impact of the Middle East conflict.

Jet fuel consumption stood at 20.3 million litres per day, up 4.3%, following a 7.4% increase in domestic and international air traffic. Passenger transport rose 6.7%, while air cargo volume increased 8.0%.

Fuel oil consumption stood at 6.1 million litres per day, up 13.9%.

LPG use grows 4.2%

Consumption of liquefied petroleum gas, including propane and butane, stood at 18,000 tonnes per day, up 4.2%.

LPG use as feedstock in the petrochemical industry, which accounted for the largest share at 41%, rose 10.9%. Household use, accounting for 33%, increased 1.7%.

Transport-sector LPG use, with a 15% share, fell 1.4%, while industrial use, with a 10% share, declined 1.6%. Own-use LPG, accounting for 1%, dropped 23.1%.

Natural gas use up 6.9%

Natural gas consumption stood at 4.754 billion cubic feet per day, up 6.9%. Most of the consumption, or 61%, was for power generation, which increased 9.4% in line with higher electricity demand.

Other uses included gas separation plants, industry and natural gas for vehicles, or NGV. Industrial use rose 4.6%, while gas separation plant use increased 3.8%. NGV consumption fell 14.6%, in line with a decline in the cumulative number of registered NGV vehicles.

Coal and lignite use drops 19%

Coal and lignite consumption stood at 2,740 kilotonnes of oil equivalent, or KTOE, down 19.0%.

Coal consumption fell 7.4%, due to lower use by small power producers and independent power producers. However, industrial coal use rose 6.7%.

Lignite consumption fell 56.0%, all of which was used for power generation by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand.

Electricity use up 4.9% in first quarter

Electricity consumption in the first three months of 2026 totalled 51,127 gigawatt-hours, up 4.9%.

Industrial electricity use, which accounted for 42.3% of total consumption, rose 2.2%. Household electricity use increased 8.8%, while business-sector use rose 7.0%. Electricity use in other categories declined 2.2%.

Wattanapong said peak electricity demand across the three electricity utilities in the first three months of 2026 occurred on March 26, 2026, at 8.41pm, reaching 34,881 megawatts, up 0.8% from the same period last year.

Electricity generation in the first three months stood at 55,938 gigawatt-hours, up 3.1%, in line with higher electricity demand.

Natural gas accounted for the largest share of power generation at 60% of the total, with generation from gas rising 11.1%. It was followed by imported and exchanged electricity, renewable energy, imported coal and lignite, hydropower, and oil.

CO2 emissions edge down 0.3%

Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use across economic sectors totalled 59.5 million tonnes of CO2 in the first three months of 2026, down 0.3% year on year.

The power-generation sector emitted 19.3 million tonnes of CO2, accounting for 32% of the total and down 8.7%.

The transport sector emitted 21.8 million tonnes of CO2, accounting for 37% and up 4.7%. The industrial sector emitted 14.9 million tonnes of CO2, accounting for 25% and up 4.2%.

Other sectors emitted 3.5 million tonnes of CO2, accounting for 6% and up 3.5%.

Meanwhile, the cumulative number of registered battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, stood at 435,013 units as of March 2026, up 68% from the same period last year. This reflects the continued expansion of the energy transition in the transport sector, even as the use of main transport fuels continued to rise in line with economic activity and travel.

Energy-use figures for the first three months of 2026 reflect the expansion of economic activity across industry, exports, services and air travel, resulting in higher consumption of refined oil, electricity and natural gas.

However, overall CO2 emissions still declined slightly due to lower emissions from the power-generation sector. EPPO said this remains an issue to be monitored alongside economic trends, global energy prices and geopolitical conflicts that could affect Thailand’s energy situation in the period ahead.