A model of PTT's Map Ta Phut LNG terminal on display to officials in 2011
Thailand’s LNG readies for commercial transformation
The start of private LNG imports may trigger an evolution in the country’s policy of energy security to encompass commercial exploitation
Bangkok-based conglomerate B. Grimm in August 2024 became the first private company in Thailand to import LNG, with a cargo of 65,000t. The country’s Energy Regulatory Commission had authorised the firm as one of seven LNG importers in 2020, ending the previous monopoly of state-owned oil and gas company PTT. The imports are a “starting point” for the modernisation of the PTT-dominated system, which has historically made Thailand’s energy security its exclusive priority, Andrew Kirk, executive director for LNG at B. Grimm Power in Bangkok, said in an interview. “It is on the government’s radar to make changes.” Private importers such as B. Grimm must obtain government approval for their bids
Also in this section
1 April 2026
Golden Pass’s startup offers QatarEnergy a timely boost but may also force a difficult choice between honouring disrupted contracts and capitalising on soaring spot LNG prices
1 April 2026
It is not a case of if or when, but the length and magnitude of economic damage from elevated oil prices
1 April 2026
The US-Iran conflict demonstrates the need for diversification in several senses of the word. It also exposes the limits of Washington applying pressure on major oil and gas producers it considers geopolitical adversaries
31 March 2026
Disappointing results in its bidding round are a reality check for Libya, and global exploration generally
