Justice Ministry Launches Special Probe After 57 Million Litres of Fuel Vanish in Surat Thani

Thailand's DSI investigates 57 million litres of missing fuel in Surat Thani. Read about the emergency war room and the crackdown on oil hoarding.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 8, 2026, 8:46 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Bangkok Post

A Critical Discrepancy in Southern Energy Supply

The Thai Ministry of Justice has uncovered a significant deficit in the volume of fuel arriving at distribution hubs in Surat Thani province. Justice Minister Rutthaphon Naowarat announced that while 217 million litres were dispatched across 96 maritime tanker trips, only 160 million litres were officially recorded at the receiving depots. This leaves 57 million litres unaccounted for, a figure that represents over half of the entire nation's daily combined fuel consumption. The investigation suggests that the missing fuel may have been diverted or hoarded amidst the ongoing energy crisis.

Establishing a Multi Agency Investigative War Room

To address the disappearance, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has established a dedicated war room to monitor national fuel volumes in real time. This facility will integrate data from the Customs Department regarding crude oil imports with refinery documentation and retail outlet inventories. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has classified the situation as an urgent national priority, demanding a crackdown on hoarders who may be manipulating supply to capitalize on high market prices. The DSI will utilize these data streams to identify exactly where the supply chain was breached during transit.

Tracing Irregularities from Retail to Refinery

The government's investigative strategy follows a two-pronged approach that scrutinizes every level of the petroleum industry. Police and officials from the Department of Provincial Administration are currently conducting end point inspections at petrol stations to trace retail stock back to provincial depots. Simultaneously, the DSI is examining the primary supply chain, starting from the refineries. According to Minister Rutthaphon, initial checks at refineries have confirmed that they are not involved in hoarding, with any remaining oil classified as commercially unextractable residual stock.