BANGKOK, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Thailand is currently not facing any oil shortages, with crude oil imports proceeding as normal and oil production capacity and output remaining unchanged without any reductions, said Thai Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday.

Anutin made the remarks during a meeting at the Joint Management and Monitoring Center for the Situation in the Middle East, as reports said that drivers and riders across Thailand queued for petrol in recent days.

He also asked the public to ease their concerns and refrain from stockpiling fuel.

He clarified that the situation is not caused by an actual oil shortage, but by public anxiety, which has driven up daily oil consumption from the usual 60 to 67 million liters per day to around 84 million liters per day.

He added that the government is accelerating efforts to restore the normal operation of the oil transportation system, and ordered relevant agencies, especially the Ministry of Energy, to closely monitor and manage the situation. ■