Buriram Contractor Urges Diesel Price Cut Over E20, B20 Reductions
The user wants a short summary (1-2 sentences, 120-220 chars, max 240) in English only. The article is about a Buriram contractor urging diesel price cuts because diesel (B7) is key for machinery, while government cuts E20/B20 don't help. N
Manat Hanyuwan, 46, a contractor for soil excavation and rice harvesting in Buriram province, revealed that rising fuel prices have heavily impacted his business operations because B7 diesel is a key cost for machinery and work vehicles. A single rice harvester requires about 70 liters per refill, sometimes twice a day totaling 140 liters, while a pickup truck used for fuel transport needs about 470 liters per fill, leading to very high fuel expenses. With diesel prices soaring to nearly 45 baht per liter, operating costs have risen unavoidably. The critical problem is that even as costs increase, contractors cannot raise wages to match actual costs because farmers are already struggling; if harvesting fees go up, farmers bear the additional burden, so contractors end up absorbing the higher costs themselves until almost no profit remains. The government's reduction of E20 and B20 prices does not address the needs of some contractor groups because diesel is the essential fuel for harvesters, trucks, backhoes, and daily transport and livelihoods of the public, yet it remains expensive. "I urge the government to cut fuel prices at the right point. Contracted workers like us use diesel as our main fuel. When prices rise, costs go up, but raising wages would burden villagers who already pay more. I want the government to look at people who actually use fuel to earn a living, not just cut prices on some fuel types while diesel — essential for livelihoods and daily life — stays expensive."
