Thai state employees have been instructed to power down all idle electrical equipment and prioritise staircases over lifts for short journeys as part of a sweeping government initiative to slash energy consumption.
These directives, endorsed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, come as Thailand grapples with a severe summer heatwave and rising global oil prices fuelled by US-Israel strikes on Iran.
Danucha Pichayanan, secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, confirmed that these urgent steps aim to manage the government workforce during the heatwave while responding to instability in the Middle East.
Beyond the office floor, the strategy includes an immediate shift to remote working for government agencies, provided essential public services remain uninterrupted.
To further reduce the use of cooling systems, the government has mandated that office air conditioning be set to a minimum of 26°C. Civil servants are also being encouraged to abandon their formal jackets and suits during official meetings.
Deputy Prime Minister Sophon Saram, who chaired the Cabinet meeting in the absence of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, arrived without a jacket to demonstrate the leadership’s commitment to the cause.
“Ministers themselves reduced air-conditioning use and avoided wearing jackets during the meeting,” Sophon remarked. Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth supported the shift, noting that removing jackets is practical in Thailand’s climate and serves to inspire public participation. “This is another way to help the nation,” she said.
The government’s plan also includes suspending non-essential overseas study trips and training programmes for the time being. Further technical measures involve installing energy-saving systems for computers, replacing paper files with electronic documents, and increasing teleconferencing to minimise travel.
Airin Phanrit, deputy spokesperson for the PM’s Office, explained that state enterprises are expected to act as role models for the private sector and wider society. While currently voluntary, Airin warned that the measures could become mandatory if the energy situation worsens.
Potential future restrictions include closing petrol stations at 10pm – excluding those on major highways – and switching off illuminated LED billboards. Officials estimate that a 5 percent reduction in electricity usage would save the nation around 31 million units per month.
