At a meeting on Friday (Mar 27), Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn told central government leaders that queues formed at petrol stations for one to two days as residents rushed to stock up on fuel.
Daily fuel usage jumped from a normal average of about 400,000 litres to as high as 700,000 litres during the spike. However, the situation has since eased, with consumption returning to typical levels of around 400,000–500,000 litres per day after authorities moved to calm public fears.
The meeting, held via video conference and chaired by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, brought together provincial leaders and key agencies to address the impact of rising global oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict.
Governor Nirat said Phuket officials had stepped up public communication efforts to discourage panic buying and reassure residents about supply stability. He also ordered closer daily monitoring of the energy situation by relevant agencies, including the Provincial Energy Office and the Provincial Commerce Office, as well as district and local administrations.
At the national level, PM Anutin said Thailand’s typical oil demand of around 67 million litres per day had surged to approximately 87mn litres due to hoarding, temporarily exceeding the country’s refining capacity of about 77mn litres per day.
He said the government had allowed oil prices to adjust in line with market mechanisms to prevent shortages and ensure adequate distribution nationwide.
Anutin also instructed all provinces to clamp down on opportunistic practices, including hoarding, price gouging and illegal fuel sales, particularly in border areas. Authorities were told to strictly enforce the law while improving public communication to reduce panic.
A nationwide campaign promoting fuel conservation has also been launched, alongside orders for provincial governors to establish local “war rooms” to coordinate responses and report developments to the central government.
Special attention is being given to the upcoming Songkran festival, when travel demand is expected to surge.
The Interior Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Arsit Sampanrat, stressed that governors must act swiftly to stabilise the situation, prevent hoarding and maintain public confidence through accurate information.
Closing the meeting, PM Anutin also ordered intensified road safety measures for the 2026 Songkran period, particularly during the “Seven Dangerous Days”, with stricter enforcement against drink-driving, more checkpoints and increased use of safety equipment aimed at reducing accidents nationwide.