Deputy Prime Minister Anutin affirmed there are no masked hoarders. He explained that public concern has led people to hoard fuel, but emphasized that there is no shortage. Fuel consumption has risen by more than 10 million liters. He stressed the importance of calming public worries and accelerating fuel deliveries to gas stations as quickly as possible.
At 15:07 on 19 March 2026, Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, addressed the issue of the missing 10,000 liters of fuel, saying that the meeting is currently reviewing the data. However, he confirmed there is no shortage. Crude oil imports remain normal with no reduction in production capacity, and refining output is steady. The current rise in fuel consumption—about 10 million liters more—is due to public anxiety. Authorities must address this and manage the situation to prevent further public worry, as well as ensure fuel transportation to stations returns to normal promptly.
When asked if the masked hoarders have been found, Anutin responded by asking back, “What would masked hoarders do?” The reporter clarified that the masked individuals are those hoarding fuel to profit from it. Anutin replied, “There are none. The term 'masked hoarders' doesn’t apply. The hoarding is being done by concerned citizens to some extent.” Previously, daily fuel consumption was about 67 million liters; it has increased to 84 million liters per day, despite production capacity remaining the same and no issues with imports. Therefore, the situation must be managed to reassure the public that there is no fuel shortage and no need to hoard.
When pressed again about not finding any masked hoarders, Anutin briefly answered, “They don’t exist, so how could we find them? Everyone is looking out for themselves. The public has the right to be concerned because of their anxiety. We told the Ministry of Energy to ease public worries by assuring them that we still have fuel and there is no shortage.”