New Energy Architecture: Thailand

The report evaluates Thailand's energy system using the Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI), where Thailand ranks 46th globally and is the highest-scoring ASEAN nation. Despite this, the country faces challenges including high carbon emissions, growing import dependence due to plateauing domestic oil and gas production, and a lack of fuel diversification in power generation. The document proposes a four-step methodology to create a 'New Energy Architecture' focused on diversification (expanding renewables and nuclear), efficiency (industrial and residential standards, smart cities), and regional integration within the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). It emphasizes the need for 'energy literacy' to overcome public opposition to infrastructure and suggests a more collaborative, multi-stakeholder governance approach to replace current bureaucratic and top-down decision-making processes.

• Thailand is the highest-performing ASEAN nation on the Energy Architecture Performance Index (EAPI), ranking 46th among 105 nations and 14th among non-OECD countries.
• Thailand's energy security is pressured by a long-term trend where energy consumption grew by 6.2% annually over 25 years while domestic oil and gas reserves declined.
• The energy sector is Thailand's primary source of greenhouse gas emissions, with emissions increasing by 3% per year between 2004 and 2008, making it the second-highest emitter in ASEAN.
• Thailand's power sector is overly dependent on natural gas, which accounts for 65-70% of the energy mix, and the country is increasing its strategic petroleum reserve from 36 to 90 days.
• To improve renewable energy deployment, the report suggests moving from the current feed-in-tariff (FIT) 'adder' system to a reverse auction approach, similar to India's model, to avoid oversubsidizing developers.
• The report recommends that Thailand develop a 'smart city road map' for Bangkok to address high carbon emissions and congestion using information communication technologies (ICTs).
• Thailand has a competitive advantage in the ASEAN ethanol market due to its maturity and technological advancement, positioning it to potentially become a major global player if export infrastructure is expanded.
• The development of a nuclear sector in Thailand has been delayed by three years as of April 2011 to address capacity gaps and public understanding following the Fukushima incident.
• Current energy governance in Thailand is described as decentralized and bureaucratic, with regulatory responsibilities spread across institutions with mismatching incentives.
• The report proposes the creation of a 'single window' oversight agency to align conflicting policies and set common targets across different government departments.

APA

World Economic Forum (2012). New Energy Architecture: Thailand. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Thailand_2012.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. New Energy Architecture: Thailand. 2012. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Thailand_2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=New Energy Architecture: Thailand |date=October 2012 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Thailand_2012.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2012new, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{New Energy Architecture: Thailand}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2012}, month = oct, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EN_NewEnergyArchitecture_Thailand_2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }