Thailand's Trade Commission Accepts Two Fuel Hoarding Cases
Thailand's Trade Commission accepted two cases involving fuel hoarding and unfair pricing practices from March 2025, including charges against a storage facility in Ang Thong Province and a major fuel distributor accused of restricting supp
On July 23, 2025, Pol. Col. Pithaya Sirisak, a commissioner of the Thailand Competition Commission (TCC), announced that following the inaugural meeting of a subcommittee on digital platform trade conduct oversight, the committee discussed urgent regulatory measures. Particular focus was placed on issues affecting platform merchants, such as restrictive shipping requirements and unfair fees.
Regarding fuel price fluctuations and shortages in March 2025 stemming from hoarding that harmed the public and businesses nationwide, the TCC worked with multiple agencies from April to July 2025 to inspect fuel depots and monitor trader behavior across provinces. These investigations yielded evidence leading to two cases now under review:
1) A fuel storage facility in Ang Thong Province selling fuel at excessively high prices, constituting unfair pricing and anti-competitive conduct in violation of the Trade Competition Act B.E. 2560, Sections 50(1) and/or 57(1), carrying criminal penalties.
2) A major fuel distributor restricting fuel allocation to wholesale distributors (jobbers) while claiming to reserve supplies for its branded service stations—stations that received no increased allocation. This forced independent dealers to source from the sole remaining refinery at higher prices and longer wait times, harming businesses and the public. This conduct constitutes unfair conditions, unjustified supply restrictions, and anti-competitive practices under the Trade Competition Act, Sections 50(2)(3) and 57(1)(2)(3), carrying criminal penalties.
Associate Professor Sutham Yainai, vice-chairman of the TCC, added that the commission is actively overseeing competition in four major business sectors: digital platforms, modern trade (wholesale and retail), ride-hailing services, and online accommodation platforms (OTA). Subcommittees have been established to study, analyze, and recommend oversight guidelines for each sector, with findings due by the fourth quarter. The TCC is also refining conduct guidelines to clearly address evolving business practices.
