1,000 trucks assemble in Chon Buri in fuel shortage protest
More than 1,000 trucks assembled in Chon Buri this morning, March 18, as the Land Transport Federation of Thailand pushed for government action over the ongoing fuel shortage.
Its president is urging changes to fuel supply management, stating that certain energy capital groups are thriving at a time when the general public is struggling the most.
At 9.20am, Land Transport Federation of Thailand president Thongyu Khongkhan said the gathering was driven by anger at state information which suggested that fuel shortages in certain locations were caused by fuel transport vehicles not collecting supplies.
The federation had reportedly checked the claim and said it was not true.
Thongyu said the federation believes the underlying problem lies in how the state manages fuel, particularly the allocation of quotas and the timing of fuel releases from depots, which he said do not match the logistics system used to transport fuel.
According to him, there are more than 140,000 transport operators nationwide operating about 1.5 million trucks, with around 400,000 of those vehicles belonging to federation members.
He described the sector as an important mechanism within the economy that transports all types of goods, including consumer products, industrial goods and agricultural produce.
Thongyu said the current fuel shortage appears abnormal and claimed certain energy capital groups are benefiting from the public’s hardship, adding that there may be efforts to create panic.
He linked this to hoarding and unclear state information, which he claimed had caused wide-ranging impacts, including effects on energy businesses, energy groups listed on the stock market and political financiers.
The federation had previously submitted eight demands to the government and insisted all of them were actionable, but there had not yet been concrete progress.
It will hold further talks to consider stepping up its actions if there is still no response from the state, reported ONE News.
In a separate development, Thailand’s fuel supply remains sufficient despite recent disruption at petrol stations, the director-general of the Department of Energy Business said after apologising for queues and delivery problems seen recently.
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