Road haulage operators increased their charges by an average of 9% today and are threatening to go on nationwide strike if the government continues to ignore their demands for the price of diesel to be capped at 30 baht/litre.
Apichart Prairungruang, president of the Land Transport Association of Thailand, said that they and their members have had to adjust their charges to cover the increasing costs of operations, after four petitions, addressed to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and seeking to cap diesel at 30 baht/litre, have been ignored.
He accepted that the freight charge increase will push up the prices of goods in the domestic market and will directly affect Thai exports, making them more expensive in overseas markets.
He said that the government could either cap diesel at 30 baht/litre or provide some sort of subsidy to haulage operators to protect them against diesel price rises, which are likely to increase further from the current 33 baht/litre.
Apichart also said that if, by July 3rd, the government is still ignoring their calls for help, truckers across the country will suspend regular operations and thousands of trucks will descend on Bangkok in protest.
