BANGKOK — Caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered officials at government organizations and state enterprises to work from home and suspend overseas trips, as part of emergency measures to cope with the Middle East war’s impact on Thailand’s energy security and economy, the Bangkok Post reported.

City Hall Urges Work-from-Home Measures Amid Severe Pollution in Bangkok

Officials of government organizations and state enterprises are ordered to immediately begin working from home, except those responsible for essential public services that require in-person presence. They must also suspend all planned overseas trips to reduce government expenditure and fuel consumption during the crisis.

Energy Conservation Measures

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Energy has proposed a series of energy conservation measures for both government and private sector offices. Air-conditioning systems should be set higher, at 26-27 degrees Celsius, and employees should wear short-sleeved shirts without neckties to accommodate the warmer office environment.

Additional measures include turning off unnecessary electrical appliances, reducing elevator and photocopier usage, and promoting online meetings to minimize energy consumption across all sectors.

Thailand & Vietnam Call For Daily Life Changes To Save Energy

Both nations have urged public employees to work from home and take other measures amid the energy crisis.

Thai government workers should shift to remote work and asked set govt office aircon to 26 Celsius,… pic.twitter.com/tIK52glXkE

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) March 10, 2026

Contingency Planning

If the Middle East situation worsens, the government would implement more stringent measures, including dimming the lighting on billboards and closing petrol stations, except those on main highways, from 10 p.m. to reduce fuel consumption during evening hours.

Fuel Substitution

The government would also reduce the price of E20 gasohol to cut the consumption of petrol-based fuel, encouraging motorists to switch to the ethanol-blended alternative. Additionally, authorities would switch from using B5 diesel to B7 diesel to lower the use of pure diesel and increase the consumption of palm oil-based diesel, supporting domestic biofuel production while reducing reliance on imported petroleum.

50,000 prepared to work from home if PM2.5 in Bangkok reaches Red level

The measures reflect the government’s proactive approach to managing energy security amid global volatility, with officials emphasizing that public cooperation is essential to successfully navigating the crisis.

-Thailand News (TN)