CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Fears over the war in the Middle East triggered fuel panic at petrol stations across Thailand, leaving pumps dry in the northern city of Chiang Mai.
Empty tanks and long queues
At a PTT station near Mae Jo University, students and local residents crowded the forecourt around midday. Drivers looking for diesel or Gasohol 91 and 95 found the regular pumps empty at several stations in the city. Many switched to premium diesel or Gasohol E20 instead and paid four to five baht more per litre.
Staff put up signs banning the filling of jerrycans and 200-litre drums. The reasoning was straightforward: anyone filling large containers would deprive other motorists of fuel. Scenes of people trying to secure extra supplies intensified tensions among those still waiting.
Tanker deliveries fail to ease pressure
An employee at the affected station told reporters that the usual delivery routine had already been disrupted. Normally a tanker arrived once a day, but by midday on Wednesday it had still not reached the forecourt. The driver was reportedly on the road, and a delivery was scheduled for the afternoon.
Meanwhile, dozens of vehicles queued in front of the empty pumps. Some drivers fared particularly badly: after waiting in line for a long time, they reached the dispenser only to find the tank dry again. Frustration grew as word spread that fresh supplies could not keep up with demand.
Government urges calm as global tensions rise
The government appealed to the public to remain calm and avoid panic buying. The trigger for the rush was Tehran’s announcement that it would close the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli forces had attacked Iran. Officials insisted that Thailand remained adequately supplied with fuel.
Despite those assurances, people across the country continued to fill up their vehicles. From Chiang Mai in the north to provinces in the south, long lines formed at petrol stations. Many were driven by fear that the next wave of price increases could hit before nightfall.
Stockpiling or precaution?
The scenes recalled earlier moments of crisis, with drivers loading containers into their car boots while others left empty-handed. Whether this wave of demand would lead to a genuine supply crisis or prove to be a collective overreaction was expected to become clear in the coming days. Yet the damage to public confidence had already been done.
“Whether this wave ends in a real supply crisis or turns out to be a collective overreaction will likely become clear in the next few days – but the damage to trust has already been done.”
said Thairath, Thai media outlet.