Last week, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), which is responsible for the nation's energy policies, publicly warned consumers that their electricity bills will reach a record high soon, as the price per kilowatt-hour unit increased above four baht for the first time.
As usual, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha came out to offer his advice -- among which, he urged consumers to set their air conditioning unit temperature to 27 degrees Celsius and turn on their fans to cool down during the hottest month of the year.
This isn't the first time Thailand has faced an energy crisis. For instance, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the price of electricity spiked, prompting then-PM Prem Tinsulanonda to launch a series of energy reforms and power-saving campaigns.
In comparison to Gen Prayut, he was a man of a few words. When the crisis struck, he invested in natural gas pipelines and established the state enterprise that would later become PTT -- now a publicly listed energy exploration company with a worldwide reach.
He also fostered solidarity and secured the cooperation of consumers by launching drastic but sound energy-saving campaigns.
In an effort to reduce utility charges, Gen Prem ordered politicians and other state officials to wear sua phrarachthan -- a short-sleeved cotton shirt which is more suited to the nation's tropical climate. To reduce power demand at peak time, national TV stations were told to stop broadcasting between 6-8pm, while radio broadcasts halted programming at midnight. State officers were told to be a model of energy saving, while fuel stations cut their service hours.
In the current crisis, the Prayut administration has yet to launch a campaign to unite Thais in the face of rising energy prices. Instead, the government simply borrowed more money to subsidise some fuel products, in the hope that oil prices will go down soon.
Despite the present dangers posed by the Russia-Ukraine war to oil prices -- in addition to the clear threats from climate change in the long run -- the Energy Ministry is opting to stick with its toothless energy masterplan, which would only see Thailand generate 50% of its energy through renewable sources by 2050. Other countries with socially-responsible energy policies are setting their targets closer to the one outlined in the Paris Agreement -- that is, up to a 45% reduction in emissions by 2030 in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
The ERC, meanwhile, is turning a deaf ear towards calls from a consumer group which sought a revision to how electricity bills are calculated. Yesterday, the Foundation for Consumers urged the ERC to make its calculation model more consumer-inclusive, instead of leaving the matter in the hands of energy technocrats and private companies.
While our leader is urging ordinary people to use public mass transit, many commuters have never seen politicians -- not to mention the PM -- practise what they preach. As if that wasn't enough, policy makers are responding at a glacial pace to demands from commuters to make the electric train network more accessible and affordable, and upgrade public buses to make them more convenient and appealing to ride. In parliament, our MPs dress as if Thailand is located in the northern hemisphere, with some donning three-piece suits.
Understandably, PM Prayut has been faced with crisis after crisis. First local politics, then Covid-19, and now the Russia-Ukraine war. Regardless of what he faces, he must understand that leadership is more about leading by action and less about pumping out a load of hot air.
