Vorapop, former People's Party MP, points out that the problem of oil shortages cannot be resolved if the government does not dare to take legal action against private businesses hoarding fuel and exploiting government policies for profit.
On 18 March 2026, Mr. Vorapop Wiriyaroj, former party-list MP of the People's Party and an energy policy expert, commented on the current oil crisis. He said that although citizens cannot refuel at gas stations, the government insists that Thailand has sufficient oil supplies. This reflects that the problem arises from private energy businesses hoarding oil and taking advantage of government policies to profit.
Vorapop explained that the cause lies in government policies that cap prices low, but everyone knows that oil prices will eventually jump higher. Energy business operators thus have the incentive to hoard fuel and sell less than usual to sell at higher prices in the future, while consumers naturally want to fill their tanks fully or more frequently than usual. This incentive leads to the observed empty gas stations, which will impact the economy and citizens’ daily lives widely. This problem cannot be solved unless the government rigorously enforces laws to punish private businesses hoarding and exploiting government policies for profit, because only energy operators have storage tanks large enough to hoard significant amounts of oil during crises like this.
Recommendation to release daily data
Vorapop said what the government must do seriously in this energy crisis is as follows:
1. Require all licensed energy business operators to report daily data on their oil stocks, receipts, and distributions.
2. Publicly disclose this information to reduce public panic about fuel shortages and to monitor hoarding by operators.
3. Conduct random audits to verify the accuracy of reports and prosecute operators who hoard, transport, or sell less fuel than normal to profit from future price increases driven by government policy.
Vorapop concluded that the government must not hesitate to confront any major energy conglomerate or powerful family businesses in the energy sector that might exploit this moment by hoarding and selling less than normal to raise prices later, taking advantage of government policies.