Radklao, Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, urged the government to support the use of biodiesel made from palm oil and proposed developing advanced biodiesel to address fuel shortages. She emphasized that this would benefit both palm oil farmers and Thailand’s energy security.
On 20 Mar 2026 GMT+7, Ms. Radklao Intawong Suwankiri, party-list MP and Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, spoke about energy market volatility caused by the Middle East conflict, which has driven up global oil prices and affected the cost of living in Thailand. She stressed that Thailand must urgently build energy security from domestic sources, especially bioenergy like biodiesel from palm oil. Currently, Thailand heavily depends on crude oil and gas imports; energy crises inevitably impact the Thai economy. Biodiesel presents an alternative energy source that Thailand can produce entirely domestically. Palm oil expected to enter the market in Mar–Apr 2026, combined with crude palm oil stocks of about 300,000 tons priced at 34–35 baht per kilogram, shows Thailand has enough for domestic consumption. Increasing biodiesel production proportion will better secure energy than relying on exports and help reserve petroleum for emergencies.
Ms. Radklao added that Thailand currently produces about 3.6 million tons of crude palm oil annually, exporting over 1.2 million tons. Meanwhile, the country’s biodiesel production capacity is around 12 million liters per day, but actual demand for B5 biodiesel is only 3 million liters daily. Increasing biodiesel use from B5 to B7 or B10 would raise demand to 6 million liters per day, still below production capacity, and the private sector is ready to support this. Therefore, promoting biodiesel must go hand in hand with quality improvements to solve incomplete combustion issues in some engines. She proposed serious support for research and development, especially for advanced biodiesel technologies such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), which closely resembles high-quality diesel and is more environmentally friendly.
She stressed the need to upgrade Thailand’s palm oil industry system-wide through four key strategies: 1. Setting quality standards for palm oil to reflect price and incentivize farmers to improve; 2. Promoting planting in suitable areas to ensure quality and competitiveness; 3. Driving biodiesel usage toward Carbon Neutrality and Net Zero goals; 4. Expanding markets and developing farmer knowledge from seed selection to processing. Given the possibility of a prolonged global energy crisis, Thailand’s immediate solution is to strengthen internal resources by maximizing benefits from palm oil to support consumers, farmers, and national security over the long term.