Prayuth latest: Tells Thais to be economical with fuel usage - only use your cars if you have to

[webfact]

Sanook Thai Caption: Only use vehicles when necessary

 

Sanook reported on the latest pronouncements of Thai prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha via his spokesman Thanakorn Wangbunkhongchana. 

 

The figures announced for costs of various fuel  made Thailand look as though they had the cheapest fuel in SE Asia but ASEAN NOW checked the prices in Malaysia and found a very different story. 

 

He said that the PM was following the energy situation as people started using their private vehicles more now that schools have reopened.

 

Diesel was now priced at 31.94 a liter until May 29th. Then the price would be reviewed by the Fuel Fund Management Committee. The latest increase was 2 baht on May 1st.

 

World diesel prices were between 130-138 US dollars a barrel. 76.2 billion baht has been used from a fuel fund to keep the price lower, a figure expected to surpass 80 billion next week. This amounts to giving the public a saving of 5.73 baht per liter.

 

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On May 23rd a liter of premium fuel cost 81.11 baht a liter in Singapore, 61.68 baht in Laos, 48.42 baht in the Philippines, 47.90 baht in Cambodia, 44.58 and 42.95 in Thailand. 

 

Diesel prices were 75.62 baht in Singapore, 48.32 in the Philippines, 47.13 in Laos, 46.63 in Cambodia, 43.89 in Indonesia, 42.16 in Myanmar, 39.63 in Vietnam and 31.94 in Thailand, according to the spokesman. 

 

The spokesman outlined the reasons for these variations. These included different tax structures and price support measures. In Thailand gasohol was cheaper than premium fuel.

 

The lockdown situation in China was thought to see the price of fuel rise further in the coming days.

 

Thanakorn said that the Thai PM was keen to keep prices as low as possible for consumers to help with economic hardship.

 

He wanted his compatriots to economise on fuel as much as they could by using private vehicles only for essential journeys because the price was rising daily due to the current situation in the world. 

 

ASEAN NOW notes that it was telling that the fuel prices in SE Asia as per the Thai government made it appear that Thailand was offering the cheapest fuel.

 

This is not the case according to online information.

 

Across the border in Mayalsia RON 97 (super unleaded) is 4.7 Ringgit this week until June 1st. That's 36.6 baht a liter.

 

RON 95 (premium unleaded) is only 2.05 ringgit or 15.99 baht per liter.

 

And diesel in Thailand's southern neighbor is 2.15 ringgit or 16.77 baht a liter. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-05-26

 

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[puck2]

Cheap fuel prices in Thailand? The elections are very near !

[metisdead]

Prayuth should also advise the people to be softer on the accelerator pedal as well and drive at lower speeds when possible for better fuel economy. 

[Excel]

Just now, metisdead said:

Prayuth should also advise the people to be softer on the accelerator pedal as well and drive at lower speeds when possible for better fuel economy. 

You are correct of course and on that subject overloaded trucks, roof racks with luggage etc etc together with poorly inflated tyres are also all attributable to poor fuel consumption here so guess will be totally ignored by Thais anyway.

[The Hammer2021]

While being good advice - it's meaningless without commitments to public transport  and pedestrian based infrastructure. And some people might ask by what does  tell people what to do with out  leading  by example

[ezzra]

When he will show example and travel in a taxi and leave his motorcade at home i will consider his advise...

[internationalism]

with Malaysia fuel some 2x cheaper than Thailand, how are they able to do so?

As thailand is taxing fuel around 6b per litre, looks like Malaysia is not taxing at all and even subsidising.

At times of economic crises and high fuel, it makes sense to follow Malaysia model, so boost economy by lowering transport cost. 

Same should be done with electricity costs to boost production., but instead Thailand rise them several months ago. There is a very large surplus of electricity in Thailand, prices should go down, rather to be increased.

https://www.boi.go.th/index.php?page=tax_rates_and_double_taxation_agreements

 

With such huge price difference there must be a very large smuggling across border. That might be fuelling bank accounts not only corrupted officials (including military, who control border provinces under an emergency law), but also insurgents for their toys

[RandiRona]

"Tells Thais to be economical with fuel usage - only use your cars if you have to"

Just like I am economical when I comes to my brain....I rarely use it...

[worgeordie]

With prices of fuel so low in Malaysia , it will be 

flowing across the border ,one way or another.

smuggling drugs out ,fuel in .....

regards worgeordie

[HaoleBoy]

We have TAT encouraging domestic travel, then Prayuth requesting people not to drive if not needed.

 

Is there someone that can take an overall picture of what is needed in Thailand?

[Geoffggi]

Prayuth latest: Tells Thais to be economical with fuel usage - only use your cars if you have to

 

This will enable more fuel availability for the Hi-So people with larger gas guzzling cars .........LOL

[Cabradelmar]

“Sometimes the poor are praised for being thrifty. But to recommend thrift to the poor is both grotesque and insulting. It is like advising a man who is starving to eat less." - Oscar Wilde

[bkk6060]

Some are not smart about this.  Avoiding toll booths to save 50b and sit in traffic for an hour instead of getting there on the highway in 20 minutes.  Seem totally uneducated about fuel consumption.

[daveAustin]

Says him in his gas-guzzling limo. Nice blouse again btw. How much labour and fuel went into making that beaut? ????

[trainman34014]

At least Boris goes to work on his Bicycle; how does Prayut EVER lead by example ?

[The Hammer2021]

2 hours ago, ezzra said:

When he will show example and travel in a taxi and leave his motorcade at home i will consider his advise...

Ride a bicycle

[internationalism]

8 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

At least Boris goes to work on his Bicycle; how does Prayut EVER lead by example ?

as he is staying free at military base in bangkok, he is only riding tanks (no bicycles allowed within barracks).

Sometimes VIP helicopters and jets from the government or military.

A similar habit when he is abroad.

When attending climate summit in scotland, he was flying daily with whole thai delegation to their hotel in London, because they couldn't find suitable hotel in Edinburgh and around   

[Megasin1]

A true "let them eat cake" moment and apt too, coming from one of the 1%. But also until the guillotine comes back out for the 1% (which is probably not that far off) as others on here have stated there are many sensible steps people can take to reduce their personal costs of living and this will extend around the world thus further effecting "luxuries" like tourism and countries that rely on it. Personally speaking I now carry out a monthly review and assess if I really need this or that, planning for the soaring costs that are going to hit us all. There is no doubt there is going to be a global recession of massive proportions, starvation and global unrest. Offering stupid advice to people who will soon be struggling to feed their kids will result in leaders being dragged out of drains and beaten to death whilst filmed for posterity on social media.

[AnotherFarang8]

This is reasonable advice.

 

Compare to politicians in Europe who recommend their voters not to take a shower every day to save on heating, due to the sanctions mess they themselves created.

[Spilornis]

2 hours ago, internationalism said:

As thailand is taxing fuel around 6b per litre, looks like Malaysia is not taxing at all and even subsidising.

Has never been tax on most fuel in Malaysia. The subsidy was removed some time back but in the last few years it was re-introduced.

It costs the Government billions and is very inefficient.

There are moves to make the subsidy only available to the bottom 40% economically but no one has come up with a simple way for how that would work.

Foreign registered cars are prohibited from filling up with 95 (they must use 97 which I assume has a lesser or no subsidy).

As an aside Singapore has a rule that cars leaving Singapore need to have their fuel tanks 3/4full to avoid Singaporeans filling up in Malaysia and avoiding Singapore taxes.

 

[KhunBENQ]

Maybe Prayut could have a word with the truck/pickup manufacturers?

Have you seen TV spots where they show crazy racing/speeding among pickups?

Similar to other car TV spots, all about racing/speeding and shiny rims.

Have you ever seen promotion showing fuel consumption? (I don't say it doesn't exist but I didn't stumble upon).

Funny enough some small bikes/scooter are advertised with high "mileage" (like 70?km/liter).

Have you ever heard that fuel efficient pickups are rewarded in terms of annual tax/sales tax?

Maybe I learn something new.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He said that the PM was following the energy situation as people started using their private vehicles more now that schools have reopened.

No, they're just using their cars to take kids to school... an extra journey.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, Excel said:

You are correct of course and on that subject overloaded trucks, roof racks with luggage etc etc together with poorly inflated tyres are also all attributable to poor fuel consumption here so guess will be totally ignored by Thais anyway.

Not forgetting the pick-up burn-outs trying to get their over-loads to the market every day.

[RJRS1301]

3 hours ago, ezzra said:

When he will show example and travel in a taxi and leave his motorcade at home i will consider his advise...

Do not be ridiculous, do as I say, not as I do.

I do not have to pay for fuel, that is for lesser mortals, I will guide you through the disasters once my nose it out of the trough. 

[RJRS1301]

48 minutes ago, AnotherFarang8 said:

This is reasonable advice.

 

Compare to politicians in Europe who recommend their voters not to take a shower every day to save on heating, due to the sanctions mess they themselves created.

so an invasion was acceptable to you, and no consequences? Apologist

 

[spidermike007]

Better to tell the useless politicians and ministers they can no longer have a 6 car escort. They don't deserve it. And we don't care if anything happens to them. 

[swm59nj]

With all the vehicles I saw on the road today.  I doubt that will happen 

[internationalism]

this picture is from today flight to Tokyo.

That looks like a private jet, and not the 1st class on a commercial flight.

Flying this jet is probably some $5000 per hour in fuel costs alone (depending how fuel guzzling his jet is).

Some people identified his documents as blank pages, with no text

[stereolab]

4 hours ago, swm59nj said:

With all the vehicles I saw on the road today.  I doubt that will happen 

I disagree, our locals now speed through the village at only 110kph, rather than 120kph.

[djayz]

.... and as soon as the price of fuel drops, you can use them again when you don't actually need them.