Bangkok: Suradej Yasawat has called on the government to ensure that there is no hoarding of oil or goods to restore public confidence. He emphasized the need for rigorous inspections of oil depots to identify and penalize those engaged in hoarding for profit.
According to Thai News Agency, Suradej, a former Senator, Member of Parliament, and deputy leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, addressed the government's claims of no oil hoarding. He urged the government to provide a public guarantee and take responsibility if hoarding is found, as this would help build public trust and cooperation. He expressed his belief that there might be oil hoarding for speculative purposes and questioned the government's assurance of sufficient oil supply for over 100 days. Suradej called for rigorous investigations to verify these claims.
Suradej highlighted that hoarding oil for speculation is illegal and urged the government to make public announcements about the severe penalties associated with such activities. He noted that the public remains suspicious and that the government should clarify the actual oil availability. He also stressed the importance of enacting laws against hoarding goods to raise public awareness of the penalties involved.
Suradej advised the public to conserve fuel and avoid unnecessary travel. He suggested households with multiple cars reduce usage to one vehicle, encouraging carpooling to conserve fuel for industrial and agricultural needs, benefiting farmers and producers while preventing price increases.
He pointed out that laws and penalties exist for unjustified price increases and urged the government to announce these publicly to prevent exploitation by merchants. Suradej noted that commodity prices have already begun to rise despite stable oil prices and subsidies.
Suradej proposed several measures for the government: raising public awareness about the illegality of hoarding and inflated pricing, conducting thorough investigations of major fuel depots, enacting an anti-hoarding law, and ensuring collaboration between the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Commerce. He emphasized the need for strict price control and prosecution of those who unreasonably raise prices. He urged public cooperation in conserving resources to help the country overcome the crisis.