From May until August, Thailand’s electricity price will rise to four baht per kilowatt hour, going up by 0.23-1.3 baht per unit. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission is raising fuel tariffs following Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. An ERC spokesman said another reason for the price surge is the declining supply of natural gas from the Gulf of Thailand.
Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine has caused gas and oil prices across the globe to spike. Thailand has capped the price of diesel at 30 baht per litre, but this cap will end at the end of May. Thailand’s deputy prime minister, who is also the energy minister, said last week the country must save energy while waiting for additional loans.
“We have to rely on ourselves… If everyone helps with energy saving, the cap will last long, and if prices go down, it will last even longer”.
The minister, Supattanapong Punmeechaow, said that the Energy Ministry and Finance Ministry will discuss how to help benzene users with state welfare cards. About 13.5 million people use these cards. He also said the government has helped people pay for cooking gas through its social welfare card scheme with a 45-baht discount.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post