BANGKOK, THAILAND – Fears of empty fuel pumps spread across Thailand, but the government insisted supplies were secure and petrol stations would stay open at night.
Emergency plans stay on the shelf
A strict curfew on fuel sales after 10 p.m. existed only on paper and had been drafted solely for an extreme crisis scenario, officials said. No motorists currently had to worry about finding station gates locked overnight.
At the same time, senior ministry officials stressed that the country’s oil reserves were well stocked. They said the existing supply could comfortably last for more than three months.
Authorities urged the public not to hoard fuel or give in to panic. People were advised to continue their daily routines as normal while the plans remained in reserve.
Officials gather data for worst case
Sarawut Kaewtathip, head of the Energy Department, explained the current measures being taken. Provincial governors were surveying local demand for gasoline, diesel and cooking gas to obtain accurate figures.
These numbers were intended purely for a strategic overview, he said. Knowing precise consumption would allow the state to allocate resources more efficiently.
The government aimed to ensure that regional economic activity could continue without disruption. No one in authority was preparing to “turn off the tap” ahead of time.
Middle East crisis shapes next moves
Despite the calm messaging at home, Thailand was watching developments abroad with concern. Strict night-time restrictions on fuel sales would only come into force if the conflict in the Middle East escalated fully, officials said.
Until such a scenario materialised, business at petrol stations would continue as usual. Pump operations were to remain unchanged while the situation overseas was monitored.
Sarawut emphasised that this darker scenario was still a distant prospect. Officials were closely tracking global energy markets but had not yet imposed harsh measures domestically.
The heightened alert remained preventive, not reactive. The ministry’s stance was to prepare for contingencies without triggering unnecessary alarm.
Inspectors move against greedy traders
Despite the reassuring statements, a small number of fuel stations had already reported running dry. In these cases, the Energy Ministry stepped in together with local trade offices.
Teams tightened market oversight and moved to push out speculators. They sought to prevent a few actors from profiting from uncertainty.
Inspectors worked to stop unscrupulous traders from withholding fuel to drive up prices artificially. By doing so, they aimed to protect household budgets from unjustified increases.
Tankers rush to refill dry areas
In parallel, officials accelerated deliveries to plug local gaps. Large wholesalers were pressed to dispatch new fuel stocks more quickly.
Tanker trucks were sent specifically to areas where supplies had become scarce. The targeted shipments were designed to ease pressure on affected communities.
As deliveries arrived, the strain on local residents eased again. Sarawut called on the public to trust the state’s crisis plans and oversight mechanisms.
He said the situation remained under control and that economic “machines” were running smoothly. Fuel flows, he indicated, continued largely without disruption.
Is the state just buying time?
The calm demeanour of officials appeared professional but also left space for doubt. Observers questioned why governors were urgently reviewing local demand if storage tanks were truly as full as described.
The discussion raised the point that public trust grows through concrete action, not just assurances. Some wondered whether the country was witnessing the calm before a real storm in the energy sector.
“Trust grows through actions. Are we witnessing the calm before the real storm?”
said The Nation, the source of the report.