Thai government approves energy-subsidy package

The Thai government approved a 48 billion baht (US$1.4 billion) energy-subsidy package that would reduce the retail prices of diesel fuel and other types of energy, The Nation reports. Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said the price of diesel oil would be cut by 2 baht (US$0.06) a liter, while the subsidies for cooking gas (liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG) and natural gas for vehicles (NGV) would remain intact for another year, until next August. The fuel-tariff (FT) surcharge on electricity was supposed to go up later this year. The pump price of diesel fuel will fall with the government’s Oil and Energy Conservation funds dropping their tariffs by 1.25 baht (US$0.04) and 70 satang (US$0.02) a liter, respectively. (August 13, 2009)