Supamas invited the media to discuss communication strategies about the Middle East war, emphasizing that oil reserves remain at sufficient levels and announcing plans for a national energy conservation campaign to reduce long-term impacts.
On 23 March 2026 at 14:00 at the Government House, Ms. Supamas Isarapakdi, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, chaired a meeting to hear opinions and suggestions from the media. The goal was to collaborate on public communication and find ways to address the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East. Representatives from key agencies attended, including the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, the Thai Public Broadcasting Service, the Thai Journalists Association, the Online News Producers Association, major television stations, digital platform representatives, as well as relevant economic and security agencies.
The Minister summarized the escalating violence in the Middle East region and its widespread effects. The government and the Prime Minister are deeply concerned about the hardships faced by the public, especially impacts in three key areas: energy, affecting living and business costs; the economy and cost of living, causing fluctuations in consumer goods prices; and the safety of Thai nationals in high-risk areas.
She stressed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, managing the situation and public communication has been designated a "national urgent agenda." A Situation Management and Monitoring Center (SMMC) has been established to coordinate all agencies for unified, swift, and timely responses.
At the meeting, progress reports were presented on the government's efforts in three main areas:
1. Energy: The Ministry of Energy reported that the government is accelerating solutions to oil distribution issues, improving logistics efficiency, and confirming that oil reserves remain sufficient. They are preparing to launch a "national energy conservation" campaign to mitigate long-term effects.
2. Cost of living and product prices: The Ministry of Commerce stated that related agencies are conducting strict field inspections to prevent product hoarding and price gouging, while managing essential consumer goods prices to avoid burdening the public.
3. Assistance to Thai nationals abroad: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described ongoing intensive efforts to assist, evacuate, and coordinate diplomatically at full capacity.
During the discussion, media representatives provided useful feedback and suggestions to improve the government's situation management and communication. These included developing a real-time oil reserve reporting system to build public confidence and reduce panic, considering declaring reference prices for essential consumer goods to prevent exploitation, accelerating tangible energy conservation campaigns beyond just messaging about fuel topping-up, and proactively countering misinformation during the crisis.
The Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office said these suggestions are very valuable and reflect the media’s important role as a key government partner. The government is ready to consider and integrate these ideas into future measures and communication strategies.
