MP Backs Transporters, Demands 35-Baht Fuel Price Cap
MP Arthit Suwannapakdi joined transport operators protesting at the Energy Ministry, demanding a 35-baht-per-litre cap on diesel and gasoline. He warned that current B7 diesel prices of 42.54 baht threaten truckers' survival and will raise consumer costs. The lawmaker urged scrapping the Singapore price benchmark and reviewing refinery profits to lower retail fuel prices nationwide.
List MP Arthit Suwannapakdi, deputy leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, visited the Energy Ministry on November 4, 2026 to back protesters from the Land Transport Federation of Thailand and 13 affiliated associations. He met with federation president Thong Yoo Kongkhan to hear operators' concerns over soaring fuel costs that have become unsustainable. Arthit pledged support for the Energy Minister to push through a solution, advocating the abolition of the Singapore price reference so the public and transport sector can access fuel at fair prices. He proposed a ceiling of 35 baht per litre for both diesel and gasohol 95. Arthit noted that cutting only B20 diesel prices misses the mark, as trucks primarily run on B7 diesel now at 42.54 baht per litre. Persistent high costs could force some hauliers off the road, pushing up goods prices and the cost of living. He urged an immediate review of the oil pricing structure, especially refinery profits, and called on the Energy and Commerce Ministries to use price-control mechanisms to enforce the cap while restructuring prices to reflect true costs. "It is time to share the burden with the Thai people," Arthit said, "to bring pump prices down and keep the transport sector moving."
