US, Thailand Speed Up LNG Supply Talks

The United States and Thailand are holding accelerated talks on new long-term supplies of US-produced liquefied natural gas (LNG) following damage to Qatar’s export infrastructure caused by the US-Israeli-led war on Iran.

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According to two sources familiar with the discussions, the negotiations centre on a binding long-term LNG agreement between US exporter Venture Global and Thailand’s state-controlled energy company PTT Pcl. The sources spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks.

The discussions gained urgency after the conflict that began on February 28, when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran. Iran later retaliated with strikes on Qatar’s LNG facilities in Ras Laffan, destroying 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity, equivalent to 12.8 million metric tons per year.

Qatar is the world’s second-largest LNG exporter after the United States. Reuters reported that QatarEnergy’s chief executive and state minister for energy affairs said repairs to the damaged infrastructure could take between three and five years.

The sources did not disclose the proposed volume or duration of the LNG supply deal between Venture Global and PTT, although such contracts commonly last 15 years or more. A spokesperson for Venture Global declined to comment, while PTT did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The latest talks follow earlier trade discussions between the administration of President Donald Trump and Thailand. In October last year, both countries issued a joint statement saying Thai companies would purchase around US$5.4 billion annually in US energy products, including LNG, crude oil and ethane.

Thailand, Southeast Asia’s largest LNG importer, has been seeking to diversify its energy supplies as it gradually replaces coal in electricity generation. In January, French utility Engie signed a 15-year agreement to supply LNG to power plants owned by Gulf Development Pcl in Thailand.

US LNG producers have reported increased demand from Asian buyers since the conflict began. Cheniere Energy, the largest US LNG exporter, said in March that customers in Asia had requested additional LNG supplies because of the war. The company also said it was working to accelerate completion of two production units, known as trains, at its Corpus Christi facility in Texas.

Thailand has also pursued alternative LNG supply arrangements elsewhere. Last year, PTT signed a 20-year agreement with Glenfarne’s Alaska LNG project to procure 2 million metric tons of LNG annually.

The ThaiNewsRoom reported that the project has not yet received a final investment decision and would require a 1,300-kilometre pipeline to transport gas from northern Alaska to export terminals serving Asian markets. Thailand is also seeking additional LNG supplies from Malaysia.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Thainewsroom 28 May 2026