Pirapan urges structural fuel price reform in Thailand

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, leader of the United Thai Nation Party and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, has criticized the government's plan to reduce excise taxes on B20 and E20 fuel by 5.50–5.60 baht per liter as a temporary fix that fails to address root causes.

He argued that tax cuts primarily reduce state revenue without forcing fuel operators to share the burden or adjusting the actual cost of the fuel itself. Pirapan suggested that the government should instead focus on refinery-gate prices and investigate true operational costs.

Furthermore, he called for an end to using Singaporean price benchmarks and recommended utilizing the Fuel Oil Emergency Decree of 1973 to compel operators to disclose actual costs. He also suggested the Ministry of Commerce use the Prices of Goods and Services Act to review pricing structures and ensure a more equitable distribution of the economic burden.