BANGKOK, 13 July 2015 – The Ministry of Energy is set to make adjustments to the gas price structure to better reflect the true costs. Meanwhile the Minister of Transport will clarify the taxi-meter fare hike, says the Energy Minister.
The Minister of Energy Narongchai Akrasanee, has discussed the ministry’s achievements in the past 10 months saying that the Ministry of Energy has been managing energy resources with an emphasis on national energy security, especially with the adjustment of oil and natural gas pricing to reflect the true cost, a process that is now near its completion. Fuel prices will be kept at an appropriate level using a mechanism that will allow swift changes depending on the situation.
On the pricing structure of NGV, the Ministry of Energy is set to proceed with further pricing adjustments in the future. Meantime, the ministry is waiting for a clarification of an adjustment of taxi-meter fares by the Ministry of Transport, as taxis are the main consumers of NGV. The adjustment of the NGV price will have to be considered further with the related agencies.
The Energy Minister said that the NGV price is expected to be adjusted to 15 baht per kilogram to better reflect the allocation cost, while the ministry will encourage the use of NGV in big trucks, as NGV is cheaper than oil, and is considered safe to operate with pre-installed factory equipment.
Regarding raising the tax on LPG in the transport sector, the ministry is now in the process of considering an amendment to the Ministry of Commerce law, the Energy Minister advised.
He also mentioned that the ministry will aid imports of liquid natural gas (LNG) through the construction of a 3 million ton LNG storage facility in Dawei, Myanmar in order to mix the stored gas with natural gas from three sources in Myanmar to create the proper gas temperature. Another 5 million ton facility is planned for construction in the southern region of Thailand, with the plan to make Thailand capable of storing 18 million tons of LPG to accommodate the growing demand for energy.
