PETROL CRISIS
Police cut patrols as fuel funds dry up
A petrol vending machine is shut down by police despite its popularity after it was found to be operating without permission.
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Northeast law enforcement hit hard by rising costs; service stations suspend credit
Rising oil prices are taking their toll on the highway police, with one station in the Northeast facing debts of more than half a million baht as its transport budget has run out. "We receive Bt2 million a year from the central office to cover the cost of five stations," said Highway Police Unit 4 Superintendent Nirandorn Luarmsri. "It's only the middle of third quarter and the cash has already gone due to the surge in the oil price," he said. Unit 4 has five stations and is responsible for 11 provinces in the Northeast. It has 51 radio-equipped cars to patrol and provide security for royalty, ministers and other VIPs. A considerable amount of fuel is required, Nirandorn said. He said the limited budget had prompted about a third of the area's petrol stations to stop giving the highway police credit, which they had done in the past. Some officers were paying to fill their police cars with money from their own pockets, he said. "This certainly affects our work. Before we send a vehicle on patrol, we must calculate if it is financially justifiable," Nirandorn said. Petrol station owner Somsak Tulayachat, who recently cancelled police credit, said he had to do so to save his business. "The unit has been using credit here since 2004 and I have always been flexible. At first they said they would pay at the end of each month, then they extended it to three months and later five months. I had to carry debt of Bt600,000. If I let this continue, I would have to close," Somsak said. A police officer said no one wanted to set up a checkpoint as they would have to bear the cost themselves while the reimbursement process was extremely slow. Also, if any significant figure requested an escort they would be asked to pay the entire cost, the officer added. Meanwhile, drivers in Narathi-wat have been crossing the border into Malaysian where the price of fuel is significantly lower. Diesel costs Bt21 per litre in Malaysia but up to Bt27.50 in Narathiwat, while Malaysian petrol is Bt21.50 per litre and Bt28.35 across the border, said an observer. Heavy traffic jams were seen at Sungai-Kolok, Takbai and Waeng crossing points and there are reports that people have tried to smuggle in Malaysian oil for sale in the Kingdom.
The Nation Khon Kaen
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