Published on March 25, 2026 at 22:30 – Updated on March 25, 2026 at 22:59
Reading time: 2 minutes – Video: 3 minutes
The war in the Middle East has repercussions worldwide. In Asia, the crisis is massive. In Thailand, fuel shortages are paralyzing cities. Air conditioners no longer work in 40-degree heat. And tourism, a pillar of the economy, has collapsed.
Empty stations due to fuel shortages. For Paitoon Boonmalert, a Thai minibus driver, a struggle begins. “I’m afraid, because if I don’t have gas, I simply don’t have a job,” he shares. First attempt. This station appears to be open. A few kilometers away, there is gas, but impossible to fill up. “You are allowed 500 bahts no more,” shouts the attendant, 500 bahts, or 13 euros for 15 liters. Gas is rationed at the gas station.
And it’s not just on the road. The energy crisis is felt within businesses. Thailand produces its electricity from increasingly expensive natural gas. In a currency exchange office, around forty employees work. At 9:25 am, it’s already 28 degrees. The boss fears an increase in his electricity bill. So, he turns off the air conditioning. “We turn on the air conditioners intermittently. We will save 20 to 30% of electricity,” says Piya Tantivachyanon, owner of a currency exchange office in Bangkok, Thailand. The government encourages private and public companies to use fans.
Even in hospitals, every penny counts. A director reduced air conditioning in the rooms and more. “We try not to use the elevator. We ask able-bodied people to take the stairs. And it’s good for health,” explains Yuttakran Chinnasote, director of Banglen hospital in Thailand. And for ambulances, cost reduction: “We try to transport two people at a time, one lying down and the other, whose condition is less serious, sitting beside.”
And then, there is another consequence of the crisis, like traditional tuk-tuks waiting for customers. There are fewer tourists, all professionals confirm: 11% fewer visitors in just a few weeks. The decline is not expected to stop.
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/2026/03/25/075-nikoubazl-parliame260112-npeu9-69c46360dd061122413769.jpg "War in the Middle East: Iran rejects the American plan, Israel expands its buffer zone in Lebanon, Hezbollah")
:quality(80)/outremer%2F2026%2F02%2F18%2Fwhatsapp-image-2026-02-18-at-15-24-12-6995b445ba937047470905.jpg "War in the Middle East: Traders worried about their supplies to the United Arab Emirates, the main source of imports to Mayotte")
