Fueling frustration: Thailand Energy Minister alarmed as petrol prices play a seesaw despite promised relief
Peeraphan Salirathaviphak, Thailand’s Minister of Energy, raised concerns about the constant fluctuations in petrol prices, which have seen a continuous rise over the past two days, despite a recent government announcement of a 2 baht per litre reduction.
In a statement made at the Government House at 1pm this afternoon, Peeraphan argued that petrol prices should not fluctuate like stocks every minute and every day. He stressed the need for a new system to maintain stability in fuel prices sold to the public.
The energy minister suggested that the instability of fuel prices should be a matter for the government and business operators to resolve, not a burden for the public to bear. He is currently studying ways to address this issue.
“We need to figure out how to make the petrol prices that people buy from the pump stable, so they don’t have to bear the burden every day like this. We need to study the structure again because the old structure that has been used for 20 to 30 years needs to be updated.”
Peeraphan emphasised the need for a system overhaul, stating that the current system is inappropriate. He pointed out that if the government is unable to control and calculate the constantly changing petrol prices, then it would be better without a government at all.
The energy minister argued that the government and businesses should find ways to make the system more convenient for the public and reduce their hardships, reported KhaoSod.
When asked whether laws need to be amended, the minister of energy responded that every aspect, including laws, policies, structures and administration needs to be considered. He revealed that he has a team working on resolving these issues for the public and regularly reports to the prime minister.
According to him, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin supports his efforts as they align with the national policy and are for the benefit of the public.
Peeraphan concluded that change is not easy, but it is better than not thinking about it at all. He reiterated his commitment to creating a new system that causes minimal disruption to businesses and government agencies accustomed to the current system.
“I think that when I am a minister, I cannot sit idle like this.”
