“Juti” clarifies that cutting taxes on E20-B20 fuels supports farmers, points out that Thailand imports 90% of its oil making price control difficult due to war, and affirms the government’s commitment to comprehensive cost-of-living reduction while pushing forward electronic transaction laws.
28 Oct 2026 GMT+7 Mr. Juti Krairiksh, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Banking, Financial Institutions, and Capital Markets, House of Representatives, commented on the opposition’s claim that the three-month excise tax reduction on E20 and B20 fuels does not cover the majority of fuel users. He stated that the government must clarify facts so the public understands that Thailand imports as much as 90% of its oil and therefore cannot fully control fuel prices. Furthermore, the international conflicts—specifically the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East tensions—directly impact energy costs, transportation, and insurance expenses. Unless these conflicts end, oil prices are expected to continue rising.
Mr. Juti noted that oil is a key cost in goods, transportation, electricity production, and agricultural fertilizers reliant on imports. Rising energy prices increase production costs and living expenses. The government thus strives to stabilize oil and LPG prices while reducing other costs where possible. The E20 and B20 fuel tax cuts not only alleviate public burdens but also aim to assist farmers growing sugarcane, cassava, and oil palm—raw materials for biofuel production—helping expand product use and support agricultural prices alongside promoting alternative fuels.
The finance committee chairman added that reducing living costs should not focus solely on fuel prices but also on lowering costs for businesses and citizens overall, especially by streamlining government procedures. Currently, laws facilitating electronic transactions and ease of doing business are being advanced, enabling citizens and entrepreneurs to register, update, or cancel business registrations online, thus cutting travel time, expenses, and business personnel burdens.
“A clear example is the electronic queue booking system for medical services. Thailand has recorded up to 185 million medical visits annually. Fully implementing online booking can significantly reduce travel burdens for people. Additionally, using electronic documents and ID cards in court procedures, with around 2 million cases per year, could save about 1,000 baht per case, reducing public and national expenses by up to 2 billion baht annually.”
He concluded that while policy differences exist, it is the government’s duty to explain the purposes and benefits of these measures. He believes that if the laws and improvements in government digital services gain parliamentary approval, it will mark a major shift in public sector operations and sustainably lower living costs for the population in the long term.