FT rate for May-August maintained

 The commission's chairman Direk Lawansiri said the FT is maintained though the power generating cost falls. He said it must take into account the accumulated subsidies, as FT increases had been postponed several times in the past.

 In the period, it is expected that the price of natural gas, which accounts for nearly 70 per cent of fuels, should drop Bt16.38 per million BTU in the period to Bt233.28, in line with falling power demand. Power demand is also expected to drop 16.87 million units from the previous four months.

 The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has shouldered accumulated burden of Bt22.68 billion. If the burden is taken into account, the FT would have been raised to 135.48 satang per unit, or a 13 per cent increase from the present rate.