Thailand’s government on Monday asked people nationwide to stop panic buying and stockpiling essential goods, saying manufacturers and retailers have reported no shortages after official advice to prepare 72-hour emergency bags, along with stockpiling calls in other countries, pushed up sales. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploythalay Laksameesaengjan said every business operator had confirmed to the government that its stocks were sufficient, and that goods were still being produced and distributed across the country.
Ploythalay said sales of consumer goods had risen, but panic buying wasn’t the only reason. She pointed to emergency purchases in flood-hit areas, extra spending after payday at the start of the month, and shopping through the State Welfare Card and the Thai Chuay Thai Plus copayment scheme. Local retailers have reported sales growth of about 5%, according to several news sources.
Officials also said checks had found no sign of cyberattacks targeting refrigeration or temperature control systems at storage and distribution sites, following reports of such risks abroad. Businesses have been urged to stay alert.
The spokesperson described the emergency bag as an international preparedness guideline, meant to help households look after themselves for the first three days of a disaster before outside help arrives. She said it shouldn’t be read as a sign of war or of a coming shortage, and urged people to prepare according to their own needs rather than hoard in reaction to news from abroad.
The appeal came on the same day Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul chaired a National Security Council meeting at Government House on potential threats linked to instability in the Middle East and cyberattacks. The meeting was expected to consider setting up national food reserves and an operations center to monitor developments, according to several news sources. Officials also discussed cybersecurity and the fighting in Myanmar.
Monday’s meeting followed a Nov. 4 session led by NSC Secretary General Gen. Chaipruak Doungprapat with security agencies and academics, which drew up four scenarios for the Middle East crisis. They range from a negotiated end to hostilities to a worst case of prolonged, widening fighting with serious effects on the global economy. Chaipruak said at the time that Thailand had sufficient food supplies and that its role as a major food producer and exporter gave the country an important advantage.
The confusion over emergency supplies began in late October. On Oct. 29, the NSC denied a viral claim that it had told Thais to stock 72 hours of food and medicine because of the Middle East conflict, as the United Kingdom, Japan and other countries urged their citizens to prepare for emergencies. Days later, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation advised every household to keep supplies for the first 72 hours after a disaster. Its checklist covers medicine, food and at least 3 liters of water per person per day, communication tools, documents and cash, hygiene items, and clothing.
The NSC chief later said the advice had set off a rush to stock up in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Sawan and Phitsanulok, where some stores began selling prepackaged emergency kits. Others said they couldn’t afford to join in. Some residents told a Thai broadcaster they had no spare money to stock up, and a retail industry adviser said consumers’ purchasing power was too weak for mass stockpiling.
Anutin moved to calm the public on Nov. 5, saying there was no risk of food shortages because Thailand produces rice, fruit, vegetables, cassava, sugar and many other foods through its own domestic supply chain.
The Commerce Ministry’s Department of Internal Trade has since asked supermarkets and retailers to build safety stocks of rice, canned food, milk and drinking water. Director General Wattanasak Sur-iam said retailers and wholesalers saw sales of key items such as rice, dairy products and bottled water rise 5% to 20% in the final week of October, but he said suppliers have enough stock to meet demand. Retailers are keeping stocks at distribution centers, and manufacturers are ready to raise production if needed, he added. Shoppers who find goods overpriced or held back can report it to the department’s 1569 hotline.
For now, the government’s message is that the emergency bag advice stands, but hoarding isn’t needed. The Department of Internal Trade says it will keep tracking prices, stock levels and buying patterns, while the NSC’s proposals for a national food reserve and a crisis operations center remain under discussion. Officials have said households can keep reasonable food reserves at home, but that large stockpiles aren’t necessary at this stage.
