Myawaddy in crisis as oil prices soar to 135 baht per litre
Motorists flooding Mae Sot fuel stations to fill up as petrol crisis bites following ban on oil exports to Myanmar
Oil prices in Myawaddy surged to 135 baht per litre on Friday following Thailand’s ban on oil exports to the Myanmar border town on February 5.
The move, aimed at tackling call centre gangs based in the township next to Tak province, has led to shortages, with almost all petrol stations running out of fuel.
Oil prices in Myawaddy, across from Tak’s Mae Sot district, were 2,700 baht per 20-litre container on Friday, the 10th day of the ban on oil exports to Myanmar.
Traffic congestion was reported on Thursday evening and continued on Friday morning at the First Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge that links Mae Sot to Myawaddy in Myanmar’s Kayin State, as motorists from Myanmar queued up to enter Tak to refuel.
Thai police officers and soldiers have instructed all petrol stations in Tak to fill vehicles’ tanks only and not sell fuel in portable containers to prevent hoarding and reselling.
