Truck operators have threatened to raise transport charges by 9% if the government fails to heed their demand for the diesel price to be capped at 30 baht/litre within ten days.
The Land Transport Federation of Thailand and its affiliates lodged a formal complaint today, addressed to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, through the Complaint Acceptance Centre at Government House, demanding that the price of diesel, which has now risen to 32.94 baht/litre, be capped.
The federation’s president, Apichart Prairungruang, said that the federation has previously filed three similar complaints with the prime minister, but all of them have gone unheeded.
Due to increased operational costs, including fuel, Apichart said that many truck operators have defaulted on instalments for trucks bought under leasing contracts, resulting in numerous vehicles being repossessed, adding that many of them had only just recovered from the impacts of the COVID pandemic.
He claimed that about five million people are working in the logistics sector and many of them will lose their jobs if the truck operators shut down their operations.
Apichart said the federation has proposed that the government change the oil pricing structure to be fairer to the truckers and to avoid double taxation.
The Finance Ministry has decided to end the subsidies on diesel, keeping the price at Bt30/litre, which has, so far, cost about Bt178 billion.
Main photo : Land Transport Federation of Thailand’s President , Apichart Prairungruang
