Oil post draws fireAfter a month of ham-fisted oil crisis management, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul appears to be moving in the right direction. At the heart of the government's response to the fallout from the United States–Israel alliance against Iran is Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. In his capacity as the CMC's director, Mr Phiphat is essentially the nation's primary "energy crisis manager". Mr Phiphat remains a major shareholder in PTG Energy, one of Thailand's largest oil companies. As he himself acknowledged, many have already reached a conclusion: it is fundamentally unfair to have "an oil merchant overseeing oil policy".

Source: Bangkok Post March 31, 2026 23:28 UTC