Reporting from Thailand Fear of Gasoline Shortage
Picture to the right was what was occurring in the United States 1973. People lining up for gasoline due to an oil embargo against the United States. I was able to find one as taken from the NY Daily News Archive as shown by Getty Images, (Time).
Out and about today and did not get back till later. In AZ, I have been seeing pricing per gallon for Regular ranging from $4.30 to $4.60/gallon. I suspect we will see lines occurring in the United States as this attack by Trump on Iran continues. The only other occurrence I was hearing about was some sites in Iraq. Can not find news to back this up. It does appear that other countries have similar issues as what was experienced in the United States in the seventies.
“Dry pump fear spikes demand”
Several petrol stations across the country have run out of fuel, while others started imposing limits on fuel purchases on Sunday, as motorists rushed to fill their tanks amid fears of a possible shortage and a price hike sparked by the war in the Middle East.
In Tak’s Mae Sot district, motorists began queuing at petrol stations as early as 5am. Heavy trucks, farm machinery, private cars and motorcycles formed queues stretching more than two kilometres at some petrol stations, forcing traffic police to block off two lanes to minimise the impact on local traffic.
Most petrol stations in the province have capped fuel purchases at 500 or 1,000 baht (~32 Baht to the dollar) per vehicle and banned the filling of portable fuel containers in the wake of the supply disruptions, but many ran out of petrol a few hours after opening on Sunday.
Similar scenes were reported in other provinces. In Nong Hin district of Loei, a PTT petrol station temporarily closed on Sunday, with its operator displaying a sign saying fuel had run out due to abnormal circumstances. Some stations limited diesel purchases to 300 baht per vehicle to ensure fair distribution.
Stations run by private operators in Chumphon and Ranong reported fuel demand rising by 200–300%. Operators capped diesel purchases in containers at 50 litres to prevent hoarding, as some traders were stockpiling fuel ahead of a possible price increase on Wednesday, after the current diesel price subsidies expire.
“Dry Pump Fears Spikes Demand,” Bangkok Post, March 15, 2026
Not a good time to be an American and overseas.
I think you should be clearer that the final sentence about being American and overseas is not in the Bangkok Post article. It was a judgement added and very likely not by an American living in Thailand. I lived overseas as an American for close to two decades. I offer two pieces of advice. First, courtesy is highly valued and it gets to be a habit. Second, the old adage of ‘well that’s your problem, not mine’ is very powerful. You don’t have to say that out loud (in fact, don’t), just don’t use your own energy if you find yourself dealing with anti-Americanism. It doesn’t happen often, but if it does, keep in mind you are a prop in someone else’s drama, not a lead character.
Eric:
Thank you for pointing out the misplacement of the last sentence. Fixed it so as to not being included in the article.
I would spend weeks (over the years) going from plant to plant in China, Thailand, Philippines, and a quick overnight stop in Malaysia. I would listen to their complaints on supply, bring my two bottles of Black Label for the plant manager, pens for office workers (who loved then), and did whatever else to make the trip worthwhile.
I mostly listened to their complaints and explained. I had to know. Went to great lengths to satisfy the needs day and night. Middle management running the small warehouse shipping $250 million annually.
Half of one Thanksgiving was lost to me to ship a pallet of components. Fortunately, one of the planners was there as well as a stock room picker. As middle management, I did what I needed to do in support of them regardless, if they screwed up or the supplier did or the customer needed product.
When they came to the US, I accompanied them the same as their accompanying me.
Basically what I am telling you? No, I did not live there, but they had access to me 24 hours per day. I was there for weeks at a time at least once per year. Your leap to a conclusion without knowing my years of working with Asia and Europe is interesting. I was the prop until there was a problem and then I was the leader. Nobody wants the hot issues.
This is one of your better comments. Than you,