Fuel panic in Pai disrupts tourism and local travel
Fuel shortages hit Pai as panic buying and cross-border hoarding drain petrol stations, affecting thousands of tourists and local farmers
Pai district, a well-known tourist destination in Mae Hong Son province, has been thrown into turmoil after petrol stations ran out of fuel amid panic buying and reports of fuel stockpiling for transport across the border into Myanmar.
On March 5, 2026, the fuel situation in Pai began affecting local residents after supplies of diesel and gasohol 91 at petrol stations were exhausted, leaving only gasohol 95 available.
The shortage has severely disrupted travel for residents and tourists alike. More than 10,000 foreign visitors currently staying in Pai have been affected, as many are unable to travel to tourist attractions or obtain fuel for their return journeys to Chiang Mai.
A source in Pai district said there are two main petrol stations in the area — a PTT station and a PT station. Despite tanker trucks delivering additional fuel supplies to the local depot, fuel has been depleted rapidly due to widespread panic and stockpiling by residents.
Authorities also found that some outsiders had arrived with large 200-litre fuel drums to purchase petrol in bulk.
Some buyers reportedly said the fuel would be transported to ethnic armed groups across the border in Pang Mapha district, including Shan and Wa groups.
Earlier, the PTT petrol station in Pai had issued a public announcement stating that fuel supplies in the district were sufficient for normal sales and urged residents not to hoard fuel.
Officials said fuel was not actually in short supply, but panic buying in several areas caused supplies to run out on a daily basis.
In Pang Mapha district, garlic farmers have also been affected by government measures banning the use of containers to purchase fuel. Farmers say they need the fuel for irrigation pumps, but petrol stations have refused to sell it to them
As a result, more than 1,000 garlic farmers in Pang Mapha have been left without fuel to pump water into their fields. Under intense daytime heat, many garlic plants have begun to wither, prompting farmers to file complaints with the media and urge the Mae Hong Son governor to investigate whether fuel is being hoarded or genuinely needed for agricultural use.
Despite public communications from the Mae Hong Son governor and district chiefs urging people not to panic, many residents have continued to rush to petrol stations.
At the same time, armed groups on the Myanmar side of the border have reportedly become alarmed by the situation and have sent people across the border to purchase fuel in Thailand for stockpiling.
As a result, petrol stations in Pai and Pang Mapha ran out of fuel early in the morning. Petrol stations in other districts of Mae Hong Son province, including Khun Yuam and Mae Sariang, have also reported fuel shortages.
