Nation Thailand
Thailand’s energy consumption rises 2.1% on 2.8% GDP growth
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Wattanapong Kurovat, director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO), has reported that Thailand’s energy situation in the first three months of 2026 showed primary commercial energy consumption at around 2.08 million barrels of crude oil equivalent per day, up 2.1% from the same period last year.
Key facts
- The increase was driven by a 5.0% rise in oil consumption, following stronger demand for refined petroleum products
- The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) reported that Thailand’s gross domestic product expanded 2.8%, accelerating from 2.5% in the fourth quarter of 2025, supported by growth in both the agricultural and
- Electricity consumption in the first three months of 2026 totalled 51,127 gigawatt-hours, up 4.9%.
- Wattanapong said peak electricity demand across the three electricity utilities in the first three months of 2026 occurred on March 26, 2026, at 8.41pm, reaching 34,881 megawatts, up 0.8% from the same period last year.
- Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use across economic sectors totalled 59.5 million tonnes of CO2 in the first three months of 2026, down 0.3% year on year.
- Meanwhile, the cumulative number of registered battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, stood at 435,013 units as of March 2026, up 68% from the same period last year
Summary
The increase was driven by a 5.0% rise in oil consumption, following stronger demand for refined petroleum products. Natural gas use rose 4.6% due to higher demand for power generation, while hydropower and imported electricity increased 19.1%, supported by rises in both imported electricity and hydropower generation.
Coal consumption fell 7.4%, while lignite use dropped 56.0% due to lower production.