NARATHIWAT: The significant difference in retail prices of petrol and diesel between Malaysia and Thailand has made these fuels a target for smugglers, who openly sell them along the roadsides throughout southern Thailand.
Although the sale of subsidized petrol and diesel from Malaysia has been a rampant issue for more than 10 years, it continues to thrive due to high demand, providing a lucrative income for small traders, including women.
A recent survey by Bernama found dozens of roadside stalls in Sungai Golok selling subsidized petrol and diesel, meant for Malaysians, in bottles and plastic containers. The prices ranged from 28 baht (RM3.64) for a one-liter bottle to 250 baht (RM32.50) for a nine-liter container.
Sungai Golok Deputy Mayor, Aphichet Jeh-Ouma, when met, said that along the roadside from the town of Sungai Golok to the town of Yala alone, there are more than 100 small traders selling smuggled petrol and diesel.
‘Local authorities in Thailand have frequently reprimanded these illegal petrol and diesel sellers, but they remain defiant, citing the need to sustain their livelihoods’, he said.
Aphichet added that although the fuel is sold at a much higher price, people in Sungai Golok still buy it because it is cheaper than fuel in Thailand.
Meanwhile, a trader named Mat Yi, 40, said he sells up to 100 liters of petrol, known as ‘benzine’ in Thailand, daily, supplied by a dealer from Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas.
“I’m not sure how the supplier obtains the fuel, but I am confident that all the fuel is smuggled from Malaysia.
We know selling petrol and diesel smuggled from Malaysia is illegal, but many people are doing it,” he said.
‘High demand’
Saleeha Abdullah, 56, said that with RON95 petrol in Thailand currently priced at over RM5.36 per liter, there is a high demand for smuggled petrol from Malaysia.
She explained that petrol sold in bottles along the roadside is mostly for motorcycle users and is priced between 28 baht and 30 baht (RM3.90) per liter.
“All the bottled fuel sold by the roadside comes from different brands, and the prices vary, often changing depending on how difficult it is to obtain the supply.
If it’s from a more well-known brand, the price is higher, but all of it comes from Malaysia. Along the road to Narathiwat, many people sell it, almost like selling bottled drinking water,” she said.
