Justice Minister Ruthapol Naowarat revealed progress in the investigation of oil hoarding and instructed the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to gather clear information by noon today. He said he wants to verify the report before confirming the missing oil quantity, which may be as high as 70 million liters.
At 09:55 on 7 Apr 2026 GMT+7, Police Lieutenant General Ruthapol Naowarat, Minister of Justice, spoke about assuming his duties as Minister of Justice and paying respects to the ministry's sacred symbols on his first day in the Anutin 2 government. He said this was his second visit to the ministry, where department executives gathered to congratulate him. He mentioned that further meetings would be held to deliver policy directions and that he has been studying the Prime Minister’s policies to communicate them to the ministry’s civil servants.
Regarding urgent matters, he said the royal-initiated projects would be prioritized. Other key tasks include addressing government problems and legal reforms, which depend mainly on government policies. At this stage, there is no specific focus on amending any particular law. The government has not issued special directives except that the Ministry of Justice is prepared to work under a Work From Home (WFH) system, for which arrangements were made in advance.
Police Lieutenant General Ruthapol further updated on the investigation of oil hoarding cases, saying that regarding the 57 million liters of oil missing at sea and the urgent need to trace its destination, he confirmed that it involved Ship-to-Ship transfers, meaning oil was transferred from one ship to another. Currently, they are verifying which ships were involved. On 6 Apr 2026, he ordered the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to compile clear data by 12:00 noon today (7 Apr) to clarify the situation. This is to determine the exact quantity of oil lost at sea, how many trips and ships were involved, and the final destination. Initially, the missing amount was reported as 57 million liters. Besides Surat Thani province, the investigation also extends to Chumphon and Songkhla provinces, which require continuous follow-up.
Regarding the 57 million liters of oil missing at sea, efforts are ongoing to verify its destinations. This involves collecting data from the Marine National Interest Protection Center (Sor Chor Chor), which has been gradually providing information. They have sent lists of related ships to Sor Chor Chor for monitoring, as the center can track ship routes retrospectively for up to 90 days and access detailed information.
All ships involved are known to come from various companies. Whether these ships were within Thai waters requires further detailed investigation, as some may have docked at ports or remained anchored offshore. They are committed to fairness for all parties involved. It must be verified whether ship breakdowns relate to the missing oil, which totals several hundred thousand liters. At minimum, evidence must be established to confirm this. Regarding reports that the missing oil amount might be as high as 70 million liters instead of just 57 million liters, he said he would need to investigate this further.
When asked about a company holding a press conference confirming that their stock of 2 million liters was not for speculation but to supply their partner customers, and how investigators would verify this, Police Lieutenant General Ruthapol assured fairness for all sides. He said they must present evidence to clarify the matter, and he trusts the DSI to remain impartial.
Regarding the six refineries in Thailand, he and several agencies have preliminarily inspected them and found no irregularities, as refineries must release oil regularly and cannot hoard it. As for oil storage companies, initial findings indicate irregularities at a storage company in Surat Thani province, as reported. There may be other companies involved, so further field operations are planned. It is believed some oil storage companies might be hoarding oil for speculation. Investigations begin with detecting abnormalities, but they must be conducted fairly, considering presented evidence.
On whether the oil hoarding irregularities concentrated in the southern region are politically motivated, the Minister of Justice explained that the mentioned cases are examples only, and similar incidents have occurred in other regions. Arrests have been made in Ang Thong province, Mae Sot district of Tak province, and Nakhon Sawan province. There are also issues with transport systems involving illicit activity in the northern region. The current discussion concerns only a portion; such cases exist elsewhere as well. Further operations will be launched to investigate details. Soon, operations will begin to inspect other oil storage companies as reported by partner agencies. They will proceed with investigations but emphasize that these companies are not yet confirmed offenders. Details about which areas these companies are in will be reviewed further.
Police Lieutenant General Ruthapol added that on 9 Apr 2026, a summary of the entire oil hoarding case will be presented to the Special Case Committee (the GKP board) to request acceptance of the case as a special investigation. The focus will be on the oil hoarding problem not only in Surat Thani but across all areas under joint inspection. The initial legal basis for the special case will be the 1999 Trade and Services Act. He expects that different behaviors in various parts may involve additional laws.
When asked about public suspicion that the oil hoarding involves both numerous small-scale actions and large quantities of oil transferred and lost at sea, suggesting organized crime or possible involvement of state officials, Police Lieutenant General Ruthapol said they need to review details again. The information is collected from multiple sources and agencies. He requested more time for thorough verification, noting the DSI Director is working relentlessly, with a deadline set for noon today. “We’re not rushing, but the deadline is noon,” he said.
Meanwhile, reporters received additional reports that the investigation into oil hoarding for speculation during the fuel fund compensation rate adjustment will be presented to the Special Case Committee for consideration of a special case investigation on 9 Apr at 14:00 at the Ministry of Justice building. Also, between 11:00-12:00 today, Police Colonel Yuthana Praedam, DSI Director, along with the investigation team, held a meeting in the war room to discuss the number of ship trips and names of vessels involved in oil transfers at sea off Surat Thani province. They planned to submit all information to the Minister of Justice by noon today.