Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced plans to expand the Joint Management and Monitoring Center for the Situation in the Middle East under a "plus" framework, focusing on public assistance and energy restructuring.
Mr Anutin said the current centre was established under an order by the outgoing government and will be replaced next week by a new body formed under updated legal provisions.
While the initial phase focused on ensuring an adequate domestic fuel supply, the new structure will take on broader responsibilities, including measures to ease the public's burden and adjust Thailand's energy management to better reflect ongoing conditions.
Thailand relies entirely on imported crude oil, Mr Anutin said, but expressed confidence in the country's refining capacity and the role of state-backed firms such as PTT Plc in securing supply through global networks.
These mechanisms, he said, should reassure the public that fuel imports will continue as normal.
He urged people not to panic or hoard fuel, warning that unnecessary stockpiling could itself trigger shortages.
"If consumption remains normal, there will be no disruption," he said, adding that the government is working through multiple channels, some of which cannot be publicly disclosed, to ensure stability.
Special measures have also been introduced ahead of the Songkran holiday to ensure uninterrupted supply, said Mr Anutin, adding that fuel transport restrictions are being eased, allowing delivery trucks to operate more flexibly and respond quickly to petrol station shortages. Operators under Sections 7 and 10 of the Fuel Trade Act have been instructed to prepare for increased demand during the festive period.
The government is also stepping up enforcement against price manipulation and unfair practices.
Meanwhile, former Bangkok senator Rosana Tositrakul alleged that the current pricing mechanism may have generated substantial windfall profits for oil refiners, claiming that previously stockpiled fuel was being sold at higher updated prices without adequate checks on existing inventories.
