Thailand and Vietnam encourage public sector remote work and energy-saving measures as Middle East conflict disrupts oil supplies and fuels price volatility.
BANGKOK: Thailand and Vietnam have urged public employees to work from home and adopt other energy-saving measures as the Middle East war disrupts oil supplies and sends fuel prices soaring.
Thai authorities said government workers should shift to remote work where possible and asked offices to set air conditioners to 26°C to conserve energy.
“The government wants all sectors to use resources wisely and effectively,” it said in a statement, also urging officials to avoid overseas trips.
Thailand, which secured two months’ worth of oil supplies last week, is suspending exports to conserve its holdings and has capped the price of diesel at just under 30 baht (USD 0.94) per litre for a 15-day period.
In neighbouring Vietnam, the government scrapped duties on many imported petroleum products on Monday to prevent fuel shortages and stabilise the domestic market.
It also encouraged companies to allow employees to work from home “whenever feasible” to alleviate demand for fuel, according to a statement on its website.
Hanoi further recommended the public limit the use of personal vehicles and instead opt for public transit, cycling or carpooling.
Thousands of motorbike riders queued for petrol on Tuesday at stations across the Southeast Asian nation, where prices for unleaded gasoline have surged more than 20% since the start of the US-Israel war against Iran over a week ago.
A 57-year-old who gave his name as Tuan told AFP at a Hanoi petrol station that he was furious after waiting for almost an hour to gas up.
“I still have enough to run my motorbike today, but definitely I have to fill it tonight. Then I have to queue again tonight?” he said.
Vietnam has so far avoided mass shortages, but state media reported that dozens of smaller petrol stations have either temporarily closed or shortened their operating hours due to dwindling supplies.
The Sun Malaysia
