In Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, fuel prices have risen to 3,600 MMK per liter, with retailers imposing limits on sales quantities.
Fuel exports from Thailand have been suspended due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, raising concerns over potential shortages and triggering locals in southern Shan State, including Taunggyi, to rush to buy fuel, prompting shops to raise prices and limit quantities.
Fuel exports from Thailand have been suspended due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, sparking concerns over potential shortages and prompting locals in southern Shan State, including Taunggyi, to rush for fuel, while shops raise prices and limit sales quantities.
“People are buying fuel wherever they can, both in the city center and on the outskirts. The price of petrol has now risen to 3,600 MMK per liter. In some places, even if you pay 4,000 MMK, you still can’t get the amount you want. Fuel traders are taking advantage of public anxiety and pushing prices higher,” said a Taunggyi resident.
In February, a liter of petrol in Taunggyi cost only 2,600 MMK. Vehicles have been lining up at fuel stations in Taunggyi since 7:00 a.m. Some people waited a long time but could not buy fuel as shops were selling only limited quantities.
A woman who came to Taunggyi from a rural area for work said that a complete fuel shortage could cause serious difficulties for employees and daily commuters.
“Employees have to go to work every day. If there’s no fuel for our motorbikes, we can’t go to work and we’ll have no income. The queues for petrol start as soon as people get off work and last until around 8:00 p.m. The price of petrol has also skyrocketed. At this rate, we could go broke,” she told Shan Herald.
Fuel prices are not the only ones rising in Taunggyi—food prices are also increasing, and the region is beginning to face shortages.
In Tachileik, in eastern Shan State, the price of fuel rose to 200 THB per liter on March 3, and locals scrambled to buy as much as they could.
The Thai government suspended fuel exports on March 1, citing the war in the Middle East. Since then, Shan State has become more dependent on fuel imports from Laos.
