Finance minister urges all Thais to change energy use behaviour

Bangkok, June 13 (TNA) – Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Surapong
Suebwonglee on Thursday called on all Thai people to change their energy consumption behaviour to ensure its maximum efficiency.

His call came after the Bank of Thailand voiced concerns that the
country's inflation rate this year might reach double-digit levels.

Mr. Surapong said no one could forecast the inflation rate precisely
because the current inflation rise stemmed from higher costs of fuel.

This week, he believed, oil prices in the global market would remain
volatile. So, it is difficult for anybody to predict which level the
prices would reach.

Still, he had no desire to see the inflation rate rise to more than 6 per
cent this year.

The minister of finance said that the government is not in a position to
solve the energy crisis unilaterally. It is a duty of all people to
cooperate to save energy.

Should everyone cooperate to change their energy consumption behaviour, he
believed, the rising inflation would not be of such serious concern.

In many countries such as in Europe and Japan, Mr. Surapong said, the
global oil price surge had not fueled the inflation rate greatly because
they have a clear energy consumption and conservation structure.

"The Finance Ministry does not want to see the inflation rate exceed six
per cent. Still, it depends on the global oil prices and the change of
fuel consumption behaviour of the public," he said. (TNA)