Border petrol stations in Mae Sot suspend services as fuel runs out
Several petrol stations along the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot district, Tak province, were forced to temporarily suspend services today, March 15, after running out of fuel amid a rise in price and demand.
At around 5.30pm, large numbers of vehicles, including cargo trucks, agricultural transport vehicles, private cars and motorcycles, were queuing for fuel along Asian Highway 12, where many petrol stations are located.
The long lines caused traffic congestion in several areas, prompting police to step in to manage traffic after vehicles blocked parts of the road.
Earlier in the day, many petrol stations had introduced limits, allowing customers to purchase only 500 to 1,000 baht worth of fuel per vehicle, while also banning fuel sales into containers due to limited supplies.
However, fuel stocks quickly ran out, particularly diesel, and several stations later reported that all types of fuel were sold out.
Locals said some Myanmar drivers had reportedly hired Thai vehicles to purchase fuel on their behalf to transport across the border, making enforcement difficult despite existing control measures.
Thairath reported that by late afternoon, several petrol stations had shut their entrances and posted signs stating that all fuel was out of stock, leaving the few remaining open stations with long queues of vehicles waiting to refuel.
In a separate development, Thailand is unlikely to face a fuel shortage despite global uncertainties, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said, urging the public to conserve energy while reassuring that oil supplies remain stable.
He said major oil traders, including Thai Oil, Bangchak, Shell, and SPRC (Caltex), have confirmed there are currently no signs that Thailand will run out of fuel.
Anutin reassured the public that Thailand is unlikely to face an energy shortage because most of the country’s electricity is generated using natural gas produced in the Gulf of Thailand, with additional capacity available if needed.
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