Fuel-saving curbs to begin April 20 after Songkran, says Anutin
The government plans to begin restricted petrol station operating hours from April 20 to conserve energy amid the Middle East conflict, with legal measures under review.
Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has provided an update on nationwide fuel-saving measures aimed at ensuring Thailand has sufficient energy reserves amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East, saying that a new Centre for Monitoring and Managing the Conflict in the Middle East will be set up specifically to oversee the issue.
He confirmed that any measure to control petrol station operating hours between 10pm and 5am would definitely not be introduced during the Songkran festival, in order to allow people to travel back to their home provinces as conveniently as possible.
The measure is expected to take effect from April 20 onwards.
As for details of the measure that have been widely reported, it would not involve a blanket closure of all petrol stations. Instead, the government would control the sale of certain types of fuel during the specified hours.
Reports suggest that only alternative fuels such as B20 diesel and E20 gasohol may be allowed to be sold between 10pm and 5am, while other types of fuel could be temporarily withheld during those hours in a bid to maximise energy savings.
Special law may be invoked to tighten enforcement
On the legal front, the government is considering invoking the Emergency Decree on the Correction and Prevention of Fuel Shortages, BE 2516 (1973), to ensure that any orders can be enforced effectively and that the situation can be managed in a timely manner.
At the same time, the government has also urged the Energy Ministry to expedite its study into the oil refining cost structure as part of efforts to ease the cost-of-living burden on the public.
