UTHAI THANI – The owner of a small gas station in Ban Rai fought back tears after announcing a temporary shutdown for the first time in 15 years. She says she’s worried about what comes next, but she’s ready to reopen as soon as prices settle.
On March 4, 2026, reporters visited several independent gas stations in Ban Rai District, Uthai Thani, after seeing notices that some locations had paused service because they could no longer source fuel to sell.
One of them is the “Jae Keng” gas station in Thap Luang Subdistrict. It’s a small, long-running gas station that many locals rely on. At the entrance, a large sign clearly states the station is temporarily not selling fuel.
Still, even with the notice posted, people kept stopping by throughout the day. Residents, farmers, and small business owners who needed fuel for daily travel and work came in one after another to ask what was happening. Because of that, the owner spent much of the day explaining the situation face-to-face.
Gas Station Never Closed
During the interview with the Manager Online, the owner became emotional. She shared that in more than 15 years of running the station, she had never closed, not even for a single day. This time, she had no choice but to stop fuel sales completely. It left her heartbroken, and it also raised a bigger fear about where fuel prices might go from here.
Ms. Peachkanit explained that the shutdown came down to rising wholesale costs. With depot prices sitting around 37 to 38 baht per liter, buying fuel to resell would push her pump price far above major stations like PTT and Bangchak, by about 7 to 8 baht per liter. She didn’t want local customers to carry that burden, so she decided to pause sales and suggested people refuel at larger stations for now.
Before closing, the station sold off the remaining inventory until the tanks were empty. She also tried to prioritize regular customers, especially farmers who need fuel for fieldwork. In several cases, customers filled large drums, around 200 to 400 liters, so they could keep working and reduce immediate hardship.
For now, she plans to keep the station closed until depot prices drop to a level where she can sell fuel without hurting the community.
Even without fuel sales income, the station continues to employ its staff as usual. Employees still come in on their normal schedule, because the owner doesn’t want them to lose pay while they have bills to cover.
She admits it adds to her costs, but she wants to keep the business going and take care of her workers at the same time. She also confirmed she will reopen right away when prices become reasonable again, so residents won’t have to drive 6 to 10 kilometers into central Ban Rai just to fill up.
National Freeze on Diesel Prices
Meanwhile, Thailand’s government has ordered a temporary 15-day freeze on diesel prices, holding the nationwide cap at 29.94 baht per liter starting March 3, 2026. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the move, and Energy Minister Auttapol Rerkpiboon is carrying it out through the Oil Fuel Fund.
The goal is simple: keep drivers and households from feeling sudden spikes in global oil prices. Those prices have jumped as fighting in the Middle East grows, with added concern over shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
As a result, major fuel sellers such as PTT, Shell, and Caltex are keeping prices steady (or rolling them back where needed). The Oil Fuel Fund will cover the difference during the freeze, and in some cases, the support also extends to petrol and gasohol.
Officials also say Thailand has about 60 days of fuel reserves, so they’re asking people not to panic buy or hoard while the market stays unstable.
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