Thailand’s PM urges work from home amid energy crisis fears | Thailand

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul called on the public to conserve energy, pushing for work-from-home measures and carpooling as he warned of the impact of the Middle East conflict.

In a statement posted on social media, Anutin said Thailand was exposed to the crisis due to its dependence on imported oil and gas, and the country could not be complacent.

“I also request the cooperation of all citizens and the private sector to save energy in the same way, be it through WFH (work from home) or WFA (work from anywhere), reduce the use of personal cars and switch to public transport, carpool and use electricity responsibly,” he said.

“Although Thailand has high oil reserves compared to other countries, we remain vulnerable as a country that imports a large volume of oil,” he added. “We cannot remain complacent and manage our oil resources as we have done in the past.”

He said further measures could be announced and the government promised to do everything in its power to protect the public from the crisis.

Across Asia, governments took steps to try to save energywith countries such as Sri Lanka and the Philippines introducing four-day weeks for many public sector staff, and Vietnam asking employees to work from home.

The Thai government has already suspended most overseas travel for its workers and instructed officials to wear short-sleeved shirts without ties, except during ceremonies, to reduce the need for air conditioning.

Thailand’s commerce ministry announced it will tighten crude palm oil exports and control bottled palm oil prices, starting Tuesday, to protect domestic supplies as demand for biodiesel rises.

Diesel prices in Thailand rose above 50 baht (about £1.15) a liter this weekend, from around 30 baht a liter at the end of February. The rising energy costs caused misery for farmers as well as the transport and travel sector, which is gearing up for Songkran, Thailand’s traditional New Year holiday.

People often travel back to their home provinces for the holiday, which is also a draw for tourists who participate in water fights in the streets. However, some tourism businesses fear that this year’s celebrations will be quieter due to the rising cost of flights and disruption to aviation.

Indonesia announced a 28 percentage point hike in the jet fuel surcharge on Monday, saying it would allow airlines to raise domestic ticket prices by up to 13%.