A sign promises around-the-clock sales at the entrance to a PTT petrol station late last month. (Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill)Petrol stations may be ordered to close from 10pm to 5am after Songkran, to help conserve fuel, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned on Tuesday. Mr Anutin said an overnight ban on pump sales could be implemented as early as April 20, but would not affect travellers during the Songkran festival, which is from April 12 to 15. “Petrol station closing hours will start after people return from their Songkran trips and resume normal life. Late Monday night, after a special cabinet meeting, Mr Anutin warned that pump prices would remain high, with limited supply because of the substantial damage to Mideast petroleum infrastructure.

Survey finds US leadership top geopolitical concern in AseanMembers of the media raise hands to ask questions during a press conference held by US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Monday. (Photo: Reuters)A survey published on Tuesday by a Singapore-based think tank found that the US leadership under President Donald Trump was the top geopolitical concern for respondents in Southeast Asian countries, cited by 51.9%. The think tank's survey polled about 2,000 people from the private and public sectors in Southeast Asia as well as academics and researchers. For the question about the geopolitical concerns of member states of Asean, respondents from Singapore showed the highest concern about the US leadership, at 76.8%. The second most concerning geopolitical event was global scam operations, chosen by 51.4%, followed by aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, at 48.2%.

Asian airlines trim schedules and carry extra fuel as supplies tightenAirAsia planes stand on the tarmac at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 in Sepang, Malaysia, on Jan 21. Jet fuel rationingPast temporary jet fuel shortages at airports due to shipment disruptions or contamination have usually led to rationing rather than complete outages. Airlines have typically responded by loading extra fuel at home airports, adding refuelling stops on longer routes or carrying less cargo. That practice, known as "tankering", is costly because carrying extra fuel increases fuel burn. Even ⁠with flight cuts, airline demand is not falling fast enough to match the drop in jet fuel supply, analysts said.

Tourist raped by van driver she asked for helpPolice have the accused van driver re-enact the crime, at his van, on Monday. (Police photo)PHUKET - A 43-year-old van driver was arrested after a Ukrainian woman complained to police she was raped after asking him to share his internet connection with her so she could contact and find her friend. The man allegedly confessed under questioning that he had forced a Ukrainian woman into his van and raped her before taking her back to her accommodation in tambon Kamala of Kathu district. She had no internet connection to contact her, so she looked for someone whose internet she could share. She met the van driver.

Inflation dips in March, set to surge in Q2A staff member paints art toys by hand for Gashapon toy capsules, amid rising plastic prices linked to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, at MOTMO Studio, in Bangkok. Despite the rise in global oil prices in March, retail prices in Thailand were curbed in ​the first half of ⁠the month. Electricity prices continued to fall, helping keep overall inflation low even though there were price increases in prepared food, beverages and some daily necessities, the ministry said. Commuters increasingly turn to the Yellow Line BTS at Bang Kapi Station to cut fuel consumption amid soaring oil prices. The government is planning an oil tax cut, ​a borrowing guarantee for an oil subsidy fund and other support measures, to mitigate the impact of rising oil prices.

Fire Point, maker of Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile, is in talks with European companies to launch a new air defense system by next year, a senior executive told Reuters.

North Korea is scaling back public support for Iran while signaling openness to renewed engagement with the United States, South Korean intelligence officials say. The shift comes as Pyongyang faces growing economic pressure from the Middle East conflict. The Kim family has maintained near‑total control of North Korea since its founding after World War Two and experts say that fear of being seen as anti‑revolutionary drives strong displays of loyalty to the leader.

Trump lashes out at 'paper tiger' Nato while re-upping Greenland claimUS President Donald Trump met Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in January in Switzerland and is expected to meet him once more in Washington this week. Trump's remarks came ahead of a visit by the defence alliance's chief Mark Rutte scheduled for later this week. Trump went on to say that Nato members had "actually gone out of their way not to help." Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, who Trump called "a great person," is expected in Washington this week. Discussing his displeasure with Nato, Trump said: "It all began with - if you want to know the truth - Greenland."

Rising fuel costs are causing concerns among airlines. Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services Plc (BAFS), Thailand's sole jet refuelling provider, has called on the government to exempt jet fuel from the excise tax of 4.72 baht per litre, warning the levy undermines the country's aviation competitiveness. Jet fuel excise tax remains one of the largest expenses for airlines. In early March, the Airlines Association of Thailand asked the government to cut the excise tax on jet fuel. Thai Lion Air said the jet fuel price has increased by 70% since the beginning of March.

Missing fuel case draws DSI scrutinyJustice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat. An investigation is underway into whether a case involving 57 million litres of missing fuel should be accepted as a special case by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat said yesterday. "If accepted, all related offences will be consolidated under a single special case framework to ensure consistency and efficiency in legal proceedings." "Investigators are also tracing the destination of the missing fuel, drawing on intelligence from the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre," Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said. Should evidence of wrongdoing emerge, the DSI is expected to formally adopt the case as a special investigation and proceed at full speed.

WEH dispute turns into cross-border legal scrutinyA long-running dispute involving an estimated US$900 million contested stake in Wind Energy Holding (WEH), Southeast Asia's largest wind power producer, is drawing heightened cross-border scrutiny following a move by a litigation fund to assume control of a 38% holding. The finding has raised questions over the legal status of subsequent transfers involving the stake. The move came months after the Thai court's decision, placing the fund in control of an asset whose legal status remains contested in light of the underlying findings, according to international legal observers. Legal analysts note that where assets are linked to conduct that a court has determined to be criminal, their status may give rise to further legal and regulatory scrutiny in relevant jurisdictions. Any claims over such assets could face scrutiny under applicable legal and regulatory frameworks in jurisdictions where enforcement is sought.

Fanatics, an obsessive, and a belligerent foolWe don't have to look very far to find a useful historical analogy for the current crisis in the Middle East. Dozens of Iranian leaders were killed, but the regime did not collapse. The Iranian leaders who are in power now are only there because the Americans and Israelis killed everybody more senior than them. And Mr Trump is beside himself with rage and fear: "Open the F**kin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Mr Trump knows he has been suckered into Mr Netanyahu's war, and he sees defeat looming in the mid-term election this November.

Bridge to nowhereNew Myanmar president Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing will be sworn in on Friday. Thailand is presenting itself as a "bridge" that will bring Myanmar back into Asean's orbit. After the meeting, he was widely quoted as saying Thailand is "recalibrating" its foreign policy and will serve as a bridge between Myanmar and Asean. Will the bridge be a two-way street that sees Nay Pyi Taw extend an olive branch? Therefore, the bridge the Thai government is building this time must be a different model.

Iran's water weapon against GulfDrops of petrol fall from the nozzle of a petrol pump at a gas station in France on April 1. The Iran war raises real risks as fresh water desalination might become a military target. Life in the Gulf relies on the "black magic" of turning oil and oil revenue into water. If Iran's infrastructure were attacked, Gulf desalination plants would be fair game. In response, Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari warned that the Islamic Republic would retaliate by striking regional infrastructure, including "water desalination facilities".

Hopes for early end to war lift sentimentPhotos: REUTERSThe war in Iran continues with ongoing attacks by both sides, while Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz weighs on investor sentiment. US President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to negotiate as he is politically motivated to end the war as soon as possible. This aligns with our initial assessment that a prolonged war is unlikely, and could end or de-escalate in the near future. We continue to expect global stock markets to fluctuate in response to the Mideast war, based on three possible scenarios:1. If the war escalates and significantly impacts oil production and transport, stock markets could continue to decline.