BANGKOK: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired the 4/2026 meeting of the Joint Management and Monitoring Centre for the Situation in the Middle East on Sunday (March 15), at the parliamentary committee briefing room in the Parliament building.
Attending the meeting were Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Energy Minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon joined the meeting online.
Security agencies, tourism and labour authorities, and relevant private-sector representatives also attended both onsite and online.
The key points are summarised as follows:
The Prime Minister confirmed that the country’s energy situation is not in a state of crisis.
Fuel purchases at service stations can still proceed as normal.
Over the past two weeks, since the outbreak of the Middle East situation, Thailand has never faced an oil shortage.
The Prime Minister said that some public concern had been caused by information circulating on social media, leading to the misunderstanding that the country might run short of oil, when in fact it was merely an internal management approach by individual companies.
He has instructed the relevant agencies to urgently communicate accurate information to the public.
He believes that clarification by major oil operators will help reassure the public that domestic oil supplies remain sufficient and that there will be no impact on daily life.
The Prime Minister also discussed with oil traders the need to manage sales appropriately.
If unusually large-volume purchases are detected, such as trucks or large tanks being used to stockpile fuel, operators may exercise discretion to limit sales so as not to affect ordinary members of the public using services as usual.
At the same time, the Prime Minister proposed separating fuel supply channels for the industrial sector or large construction projects that require substantial volumes of fuel, with deliveries to be made through wholesale systems or direct tank refills for agencies concerned, instead of using retail petrol stations.
This would help reduce congestion and public anxiety.
The Prime Minister stressed that Thailand’s energy authorities are still able to procure oil continuously from sources around the world.
Additional negotiations are also underway to purchase gas and fuel from countries outside the Middle East in order to diversify the country’s energy risk.
“What matters most at this moment is the communication of accurate information to reduce public panic and to reaffirm that Thailand has shown no sign of facing an oil shortage in the near term,” the Prime Minister said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said that Thailand’s oil reserves remain at a sufficient level.
If the crude oil currently available is taken into account, it would be able to meet demand for around 96 days.
The current issue is not a shortage of oil, but rather the management of transport and distribution systems to petrol stations so that the public can be confident that supplies are sufficient.
He compared the situation to an ATM: even if there is a large cash reserve, public panic and a rush to withdraw funds all at once could create the false impression that there is not enough money.
The meeting discussed three courses of action: communicating with the public to reassure them that fuel supplies are sufficient; managing transport and logistics systems so that oil can be distributed efficiently to petrol stations; and creating a separate fuel procurement channel for the industrial sector so that it does not use the same service stations as the general public, which would help ease congestion and reduce public concern.
Major domestic oil traders, including PTT OR, PT and Bangchak, also confirmed at the meeting that the country’s oil stock remains sufficient.
They said they were ready to support government policy, but that it would be necessary to manage transport and refuelling at certain service stations appropriately.
At the meeting, Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun spoke about Thailand’s trade opportunities amid the crisis.
At present, many countries in the Middle East are facing higher demand for food products and raw materials, which presents an opportunity for Thai businesses, particularly in food and processed food products.
However, because of transport constraints, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains risky.
She therefore proposed considering talks with the Iranian government to open the way for Thai cargo vessels.
If negotiations succeed, Thailand would be able to increase exports of food and processed food products to Middle Eastern markets.
At the same time, it could also import energy or fertiliser from the region back to Thailand.
Meanwhile, the Energy Minister clarified that refuelling at stations nationwide continues as normal, and that throughout the more than two weeks of unrest in the Middle East, Thailand has never experienced an oil shortage.
Some of the concern has stemmed from large-volume fuel purchases for stockpiling, as well as inaccurate information online.
He called on the relevant agencies and energy operators to urgently communicate the facts to the public, while reaffirming that Thailand can continue to source oil and gas from multiple suppliers around the world and that there is no sign of an energy crisis in the near term.
Before the meeting concluded, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported on the latest situation, saying that tensions around the Strait of Hormuz continue to escalate.
Oil transport has been affected during certain periods, and major powers have begun discussing measures to contain the situation, including talks with Iran to ensure that cargo vessels can pass safely through the strait.
In the case of the cargo vessel Mayuree Naree, the latest update is that on March 14, 2026, the shipowner moved 20 crew members from Khasab, Oman, and they arrived in Muscat, Oman, last night.
The Royal Thai Embassy in Muscat has been providing close assistance, and all of the crew are scheduled to return to Thailand today and are expected to arrive tomorrow.
However, three crew members still require further assistance.
Today, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has coordinated with Iran’s Foreign Minister to expedite efforts to help the remaining crew.
In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister emphasised that he has instructed all agencies to implement every possible measure to address both the energy situation and the well-being of the public.
He reaffirmed that the government will do everything possible to secure fuel and other essential supplies for the country on a continuous basis so that the overall situation can continue as normal. - The Nation/ANN
