Fuel stations in the strategic border towns of Myawaddy and Tachilek halted operations on 3 March, as a Thai government ban on petroleum exports and surging global oil prices triggered a severe supply crunch.
In Myawaddy, all major stations including PTT, Denko, and City closed by midday after a morning rush where some residents reportedly spent up to 30,000 baht (US$947) to secure remaining stocks.
“Myawaddy is taking advantage of the situation. Early this morning, people lined up at PTT to buy up to 30,000-baht worth of fuel, but now all the stations are closed. Roadside fuel shops were already shut down last month,” a Myawaddy resident told Mizzima.
The price of 92-octane gasoline in Myawaddy had been 4,850 kyats (US$2.31) per litre but increased to 5,390 kyats (US$2.57) per litre on 2 March. As of today, residents say it is no longer possible to refuel. Authorities confiscated fuel cans sold at roadside stalls last month, and those stalls are no longer selling fuel.
In Tachilek, another Thai border town, residents have also been queuing at petrol stations since the evening of 2 March.
“At the gas stations, people were still able to fill up until this morning. The queues are very long. Motorcycles are being filled, but they are not allowing fuel to be purchased in cans,” a Tachilek resident said.
Another resident said he was forced to buy fuel from a roadside seller because he could not endure the long wait at petrol stations. A Coca-Cola bottle filled with fuel, which previously cost 35 baht (US$1.10), rose to 60 baht (US$1.89) on morning of 2 March and 100 baht (US$3.16) by evening.
Residents believe the price increases are linked to Thailand’s ban on fuel exports to Myanmar.
“Thailand has closed fuel exports, and existing supplies are not being sold in sufficient quantities. I think some stations are holding back sales to drive up prices. Not all stations are doing this. I’m not sure how long it will last. The last time this happened, it continued for about seven days,” a Tachilek resident said.
Meanwhile, global oil prices have risen following the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Israel–US–Iran conflict, contributing to higher fuel prices.
There are growing concerns that a prolonged conflict in the Middle East could further disrupt global oil markets, potentially leading to regional fuel shortages and continued price increases.
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