Natthaphong, Rangsiman lash government over fuel hike

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut accused the government of failing to tell the truth about the fuel crisis and deepening a crisis of public confidence, while party-list MP Rangsiman Rome escalated the attack by saying the “shadowy mastermind” behind the turmoil was the government itself.

Their remarks came after a late announcement of a 6-baht-per-litre rise in all retail fuel prices, effective Thursday.

Natthaphong demands answers in the House

Speaking at party headquarters, Natthaphong said the House of Representatives was the proper forum for the government to answer questions from MPs and the public, rather than relying on media appearances it could control itself.

He said the administration needed to be more truthful with the public and govern in a way that restored trust, while also raising concerns over possible conflicts of interest in the state’s handling of the energy crisis. He added that official claims there had been no fuel shortage did not match conditions on the ground, where motorists had been left queueing for hours.

Rangsiman says crisis was government-made

Rangsiman, in a Facebook post on Thursday, went further by portraying the fuel shock as a brutal extraction from the public and arguing that the crisis had been created by the government itself. He said the “shadowy mastermind” cited in the March 25 energy-crisis debate was not an outside actor but the administration, intensifying opposition pressure over the way the price rise was handled.

People’s Party calls for phased price rises

Deputy party leader Veerayooth Kanchoochat said the overnight increase had come with no explanation, no clear principle and no empathy for the public. He said the party had proposed a step-by-step pricing formula instead of a one-off 6-baht jump, argued that the earlier 15-day diesel price freeze had worsened the turmoil, and called for open consultation and targeted help for vulnerable groups. He also urged the government to tap emergency reserve funds and warned that prolonged uncertainty could cast a shadow over Songkran travel.

Why fuel prices jumped

The Oil Fuel Fund Management Committee approved a cut in subsidies on March 25, triggering a 6-baht-per-litre increase in all retail fuel prices from March 26. Officials said the move was needed after global oil prices surged amid the Iran war and because the Oil Fuel Fund was under acute strain. Thai diesel prices reached 38.94 baht a litre on Thursday, up from 29.94 baht a litre in February, while The Nation said officials had cited a jump in oil prices from about US$198 to US$242 a barrel within days and heavy daily support costs borne by the fund.

Government weighs relief measures

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday after the price shock. It was reported that the government is considering an oil excise cut to ease the burden on consumers, while officials have also flagged support measures for vulnerable groups, public transport operators, farmers, fishermen, state contractors and affected businesses.