Suphanart Criticizes Rural Road Department: Turning Off Street Lights Doesn't Save Money and Creates Safety Risks
Pheu Thai MP Suphanart Meenchaiyanan criticized the Department of Rural Roads' plan to turn off street lights on rural highways starting May 1, arguing it won't save money and creates safety risks. He urged converting to LED lighting instea
Suphanart Meenchaiyanan, a Bangkok MP from the Pheu Thai Party, criticized the Department of Rural Roads on April 26, 2025, over its order to reduce energy consumption on rural highways in low-risk areas starting May 1, 2025, without compromising safety standards.
Suphanart stated that the Department of Rural Roads should instead focus on converting street lights from HPS sodium vapor bulbs to LED lighting, which would provide better energy savings and be more sustainable than turning off lights entirely.
He argued that the Transport Ministry's focus on turning off lights will have limited impact, as light spacing, frequency, and positioning are specifically designed to provide adequate illumination for road users. Turning off lights will negatively affect road users and create safety hazards. Many areas already have non-functional lights, and darkening them further will be even worse. Suphanart believes this policy will achieve little.
For effective energy conservation, he recommends the ministry prioritize converting all street lights to LED technology and prevent theft of electrical cables, which would be far more beneficial.
