PM urges Thais to conserve energy

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra today urged the Thai public to conserve energy, while warned that local manufacturers would not be able to raise their products' prices without sufficient reasons.

"Thailand has to import oil and we have to spend our foreign exchange reserves on imported oil, which has incrased around 15% annually", said Mr. Thaksin over his weekly radio address this morning.

"The government has also spent a lot of money on subsidizing fuel prices", he added.

So far the government has spent around 63 billion baht for diesel subsidy and and 7 billion baht for gasoline.

The government would, however, try to avoid floating the diesel price, as it would affect the country's economy and the Thai public, said the Thai leader

"Local manufacturers must fix their products' prices based on actual costs, and must not increase their prices unreasonably", he warned.

The Commerce Ministry is closely monitoring the prices of consumer products on the domestic market to ensure that they are reasonable, with profiteers to face touch penalties.

--TNA 2005-03-05

"The government would, however, try to avoid floating the diesel price, as it would affect the country's economy and the Thai public, said the Thai leader"

But it raises the same question as usual: Who's gonna pay the bill in the end?

63 billion so far...

thaskin the visionary leader.......

How much of Thailands electricity is provided by oil fired power stations?...

Where are the gas production platforms staffed by Thai workers trained up by foriegn professionals.

Where is the massive gas plant staffed by Thai workers trained up by foriegn proffessionals distributing gas to the gas fired power stations staffed by etc. providing power to the Thai industries?

What is going to allow Thailand to grow economically? oh thats right ... mobile phones

Got another one for you. Developed nations transport huge quantities of raw materials and finished goods through containerized packaging, intermodal. A boxcar can be mounted on an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer, a freight train, or on a huge cargo ship. It requires a huge fleet of tractor-trailer rigs driven by competent, well-trained, responsible, punctual drivers; a modern, function rail network connecting all the major portions of the country and to ports and foreign suppliers and customers; and a modern port with container handling facilities of world-class order.

Thailand doesn't have most of those things, unless they're south of Bangkok. You can't really be big time in the import-export/manufacturing business without containerized shippping. But you can have people buy mobile phones, yes.

Example: Saturday's Bangkok Post mentions problems a motorcycle parts supplier is having with its franchisees. The franchisees report the parts do not arrive, are the wrong parts, and are overpriced. The CEO of the supplier admits to much of this, but is suing for breach of contract anyway!

Does this mean there will be a tax reduction on products like

Solar Water heating

Wind generators

etc

The only products I could find were outrageously expensive.

Does this mean there will be a tax reduction on products like

Solar Water heating

Wind generators

etc

The only products I could find were outrageously expensive.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind and hydropower represent only 1% of Thailand`s electricity generation.

The government have said that they will provide incentives for the purchase of power generated by renewable energy such as tax credits, priviledges and subsidies. These incentives seem to be directed towards the manufacturers and suppliers not towards the public, but this could change. The Board of Investment has designated solar cell manufacturing as a specially promoted industry.

So to answer your question it seems at the moment the purchaser of the product will have to rely on the manufacturer/supplier to pass down any subsidy to the retail point of sale outlets

Thanks a lot for the info Pattaya Fox. It doesnt make me too hopeful though.

lots of funny adds on Thai TV about that ! like that guy beating a sh1t out of driver who wastes petrol ...