Diesel price to be maintained at a maximum of THB30 per litre
The National Energy Policy Council (NEPC) has approved maintaining diesel price at not more than 30 baht per litre as long as possible, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after presiding over the NEPC meeting on Wednesday.
He said this move aims to mitigate impact on citizens, adding that the government and citizens would have to help each other if the energy price continues to rise as many countries are facing the same issue.
He claimed that Thailand's energy price is considered cheap compared to other Asean countries, but it was not the cheapest as some Asean countries could produce energy on their own.
Prayut added that the most important thing is how the country can move forward amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict as it had caused an impact in various aspects.
He promised that the government would seek the best measures to tackle the issue.
"The Oil Fund will maintain the diesel price at 30 baht per litre until it is unable to do so," he said, asking what should the government do if the oil price rises above US$130 and $150 per barrel?
He said many governments had tackled the rising oil price issue in various ways. He admitted that the government has a limited budget as most of the budget was spent tackling the Covid-19 crisis so far.
However, he said that it was necessary to tackle the worrisome diesel price issue before tackling benzyl in the next phase.
He said it was also necessary to seek ways to obtain production materials to tackle rising fertiliser and animal feed prices without relying on imports, as some fertilisers can be obtained from energy production.
