- Publisher
- CASE for Southeast Asia
- Authors
- Dr. Siripha Junlankarn (Energy Research Institute), Dr. Supawan Saelim (Agora Energiewende)
- Publication date
-
22 July 2025
- Pages
- 82
- Project
- This publication was produced within the framework of the project Clean, Affordable, and Secure Energy System in Southeast Asia (CASE).
Thailand’s natural gas crossroads
Strategic risk mitigation for a carbon-neutral era
Preface
Thailand’s updated Power Development Plan (PDP) 2024 and Gas Plan 2024 need to align with the nation’s carbon neutrality goal by 2050 and its net-zero target by 2065. However, both plans currently extend only to 2037, raising concerns about the feasibility of meeting these long-term climate targets. Natural gas generates 57% of the country’s electricity, with plans to reduce this to 41% by 2037 – still more than double the less than 20% required under carbon-neutral scenarios.
Developed by the Energy Research Institute and Agora Energiewende under the Clean, Affordable, Secure Energy Transition for Southeast Asia (CASE) project, the report calls for extending energy planning beyond 2037 to better align short-term security with long-term sustainability. This would enable a more integrated approach to balancing immediate energy needs with future climate commitments, while addressing key risks associated with prolonged reliance on natural gas. These risks include potential supply security concerns, economic volatility from LNG market fluctuations, environmental impacts, and uncertainty over future technological advancements.
Thailand’s renewable energy expansion is constrained by grid reliability and security challenges. The report highlights the need for decentralised and demand-side management, alongside stronger policies for distributed generation to accelerate clean energy adoption. It also underscores the absence of a just transition roadmap for gas, a full market liberalisation strategy, and equitable pricing for gas and electricity. A comprehensive gas transition plan, developed with stakeholder input, will be critical to support industries, workers, and consumers during the shift to cleaner energy.
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Thailand’s natural gas crossroads
Strategic risk mitigation for a carbon-neutral era
