Phattharapong asked Akniti, who said there was enough fuel at gas stations, expressing doubt whether they were in the same country. He confirmed that even the forest firefighting teams are struggling to find fuel to refill.
On 16 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Phattharapong Leelaphat, MP for Chiang Mai from the People's Party, commented on Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Akniti Nitiphanprapas's statement that there was still enough fuel at gas stations for the public to use without worry, assuring people the fuel supply was sufficient. He said he was unsure if they were in the same country because even this morning, the forest firefighting teams could hardly find fuel to refill. Many stations had run out of diesel. The Deputy Prime Minister's assurance of sufficient fuel contrasted sharply with the severe shortage at gas stations, indicating that the government’s management had completely failed.
"The government must manage this crisis systematically. How much fuel reserve is there? How is fuel distributed from source to destination? Is the supply truly sufficient for demand in each area? Which areas are lacking, and how? These are the issues that must be communicated to the public, rather than simply saying there is enough fuel and no need to worry while on the ground people cannot find fuel to refill." , Mr. Phattharapong added,
Saying things that make society think the situation is good when reality is otherwise does not solve anything. The government should work systematically and communicate honestly with the public, because the problem already exists. What we must do is minimize the impact of the problem through good management, not just words, especially when those in power have full authority.