Energy Minister Aeknat has deployed a local team in collaboration with the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to dismantle a major oil jobber network in Kanchanaburi that used nail salons as fronts to secretly hoard and export oil, prosecuting them under the law.
On 22 July 2026, Ms. Thitiphat Chotidechachainan, the leader of the local team, revealed that Minister Aeknat Promphan assigned the team to integrate efforts with the Department of Energy Business, provincial energy offices nationwide, and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to investigate and suppress oil hoarding and illegal oil exports after detecting irregular oil trading activities recently.
Ms. Thitiphat said that a random audit of data from January to March 2026 revealed irregularities involving a major jobber in the central region, particularly Kanchanaburi province. The operator avoided reporting as required under Section 10 of the Fuel Trade Act B.E. 2543 by setting up brokerage companies and using nail salons as fronts to disguise their business operations and evade official inspections.
The local team, together with the Department of Energy Business and provincial energy offices, expanded the investigation by examining 170 transport documents covering 23 provinces. They also inspected delivery stations, summoned operators for explanations, and reviewed GPS tracking data.
The investigation found that many delivery stations confirmed they did not receive the oil quantities stated in the documents or received less than specified. In some cases, such as in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, the declared destinations were vacant plots of land. Thirty-four transport documents were found to be irregular, resulting in over 800,000 liters of oil lost from the system, with damages exceeding 28 million baht.
Based on collected evidence, the Ministry of Energy consulted with the Central Investigation Bureau, the Consumer Protection Police Division, the Department of Internal Trade, the Revenue Department, and the Customs Department before deciding to file charges with the CIB. Police Colonel Thanathat Sripipat was appointed to lead the prosecution as the operators violated the Fuel Trade Act B.E. 2543 and the Criminal Code.
Additionally, the Ministry of Energy coordinated with the Revenue Department and Customs Department to investigate related offenses further and plans to expand investigations to other jobbers suspected of similar behavior.
Ms. Thitiphat emphasized that the Ministry of Energy will continue to crack down on offenders, both small and large, exploiting legal loopholes for profit. The ministry aims to accelerate development of information technology monitoring systems alongside pushing for stricter legal penalties to close corruption loopholes, ensure fairness in the energy system, and fully protect the public’s interests.