The leader of the United Thai Nation Party has called for the Energy Conservation Fund to be abolished and for the 5 satang per liter fuel surcharge to be returned to the public after discovering misuse of the funds.
On 18 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Mr. Peeraphan Sareerathviphak, leader of the United Thai Nation Party (UTN), spoke about budget audits and spending issues related to the Energy Conservation Promotion Fund, noting that he had previously investigated and tried to resolve these problems during his tenure as Minister of Energy. He found that funds were not used according to their intended purpose and that spending guidelines lacked strictness.
Mr. Peeraphan stated that the fund collects money through a 5 satang per liter charge included in fuel prices paid by the public, aiming to support energy conservation and renewable energy development. However, audits revealed that many government agencies requested large sums of money despite having their own annual budgets. Recently, rules were amended to allow more state agencies, especially under the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Transport, to access these funds, even though the money should support private sector innovations in energy-saving technologies such as solar cell systems or oil production via pyrolysis.
He added that previous fund spending had regulatory loopholes, drawing criticism from the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), and that the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) had not approved past balance sheets. During his time as Minister of Energy, he established a task force to audit, draft new regulations, and delay fund disbursements until collaborating with the OAG to resolve issues. The OAG has now approved the fund's balance sheets for 2023–2025, disproving claims that they rejected these accounts.
Furthermore, Mr. Peeraphan pointed out that the fund lacks legal entity status, preventing it from opening its own bank accounts. Therefore, all money must be deposited under the name of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO). Currently, the fund's remaining balance is estimated at nearly 20 billion baht, not the 60 billion baht figure that has been alleged.
“This fund was established in 1992, yet the public, who pays into it through fuel prices, has hardly felt any tangible benefits. Since this money comes from the people, it should be returned to them directly rather than being used by government agencies. Therefore, I believe the fund should be abolished, which would at least reduce fuel prices paid by the public by 5 satang per liter,” Mr. Peeraphan concluded.