IN ALLAYING fears about oil shortage, Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Transport Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn confirmed that the country has sufficient crude oil reserves for 98 days while the price of diesel will stay fixed till Monday (Mar. 16), TV Channel 7 and PPTVHD36 said today (Mar. 13).
As the 15-day freezing of diesel price is expiring on Monday, an announcement will be made after that on future oil prices, particularly diesel.
Thenceforth oil prices will be adjusted weekly, based on the ever-increasing crude oil prices.
While as much as 50 percent of crude oil comes from the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, there is also another 50 percent obtained elsewhere, with Thailand currently negotiating purchases to cover the shortfall.
There is a small piece of good news: as the US has announced the lifting of its boycott of Russian crude oil exports to other countries, Thailand will now try to purchase this product from Russia.
Additionally although Thailand currently adds 7 percent biodiesel to diesel, this could be increased to 10 percent and eventually to 20 percent.
The 20 percent limit was previously announced for trucks, applicable to all brands. However, diesel with 10 percent biodiesel mixed can also be used in smaller vehicles, especially pickup trucks, as previously done.
CAPTIONS:
Top – A car being filled up at a petrol pump. Photo – Sanook.com
Insert – Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Transport Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakarn. Photo – PPTVHD36
Front Page – A worker finishes filling up a car at a petrol pump. Photo – Thai Rath
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