Policy Inconsistency and Crisis Communication: A Critique of the Thai Government's Management of Fuel Shortages

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze the fuel shortage crisis in Thailand during March 2026 through a three-dimensional integrated analytical framework: economics, crisis communication, and public policy. The study reveals that the crisis is fundamentally rooted in the limitations of state capacity for systematic crisis management. Specifically, the failure of economic intervention through a blanket price control policy severely distorted market mechanisms and depleted the liquidity of the Oil Fuel Fund, ultimately leading to supply chain disruption. This severe operational constraint forced the government to employ crisis communication strategies based on problem minimization and scapegoating, which contradicted empirical realities and resulted in a severe deficit of public trust. Ultimately, these phenomena reflect a failure in public policy implementation, characterized by a reactive approach and a policy lag of over three weeks in resolving logistical bottlenecks. This article, therefore, recommends that the government shift its paradigm from blanket subsidies to targeted policy instruments, elevate transparency-based communication, and establish an agile crisis management mechanism. These measures are essential to restore public trust and enhance institutional resilience against future volatilities.