BANGKOK, 24 May 2012 – The Energy Business Department has expressed worries over an increase in the country’s LPG use.
Department of Energy Business (DOEB) Director-General Viraphol Jirapraditkul said on Wednesday that Thailand’s use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has continued to increase, particularly during the past 7-8 years.
He said that the average consumption growth rate has been at 7-8 percent, compared to the normal growth rate of 3-4 percent almost a decade ago.
Mr. Viraphol noted that the rise in LPG consumption has shown no slowdown even though the government, last year, divided LPG prices into 3 groups.
Under the new scheme, LPG price for industrial use rose 12 baht a kilo, while that for transport use went up 3 baht a kilo. The government has left LPG price for household use unchanged at 18.13 baht per kilo.
The DOEB Director-General has called on the public to help prevent the smuggling of LPG to neighboring countries, where prices are cheaper, due to the Thai government’s subsidies for cooking gas.
