Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has reassured Laos that refined oil exports will continue despite the ongoing Middle East conflict, though volumes have been reduced by 25 percent to 5.29 million liters per day.
Thailand suspended all refined oil exports on 1 March following the outbreak of the Middle East crisis, with Laos and Myanmar the only two exceptions.
The reassurance came following the 19 March meeting of Thailand’s Center for Management and Monitoring of the Middle East Conflict Situation, shortly after Anutin returned from a state visit to Laos accompanying the Thai King and Queen from 16 to 18 March.
Myanmar also continuing to receive 300,000 liters per day, down 20 percent from previous levels.
Anutin justified maintaining exports to Laos by citing mutual energy dependencies. Laos, widely known as the “Battery of Southeast Asia” for its extensive hydropower network, supplies a significant share of Thailand’s electricity.
The supply cut carries serious consequences for Laos, which imports all of its refined fuel from abroad, with Thailand accounting for over 97 percent of that supply last year. Laos was also Thailand’s second-largest oil export destination in 2025 by volume, receiving over 210 million liters, or roughly 20 percent of Thailand’s total fuel exports.
Fuel shortages felt across the country
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce reported as of 11 March that 1,068 of Laos’ 2,538 petrol stations nationwide had closed, roughly 42 percent, with the transportation, logistics, and agriculture sectors among those most affected.
The situation in the capital has since been closely monitored: as of 21 March, only 144 of 255 petrol stations in Vientiane Capital remain operational, according to the Vientiane Capital Department of Industry and Commerce.
The Lao government issued a notice on 20 March reducing in-person teaching days at colleges and universities from five to three days per week to curb fuel consumption, while general schools continue operating normally on a five-day schedule.


