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Hours-Long Fuel Queues in Laos Capital Vientiane

On March 16, 2026, long queues formed at petrol stations across Vientiane as AFP saw more than 15 stations closed with signs saying they had run out of fuel.
Dependence on Thailand for fuel left Laos vulnerable after its export suspension triggered panic buying that emptied Vientiane stations within hours.
Laotian authorities banned filling containers and rationed sales while a 12-million-litre emergency import vanishes, and diesel prices rose nearly 50% to 31,560 kip .
More than 40 percent of the 2,538 filling stations in Laos were closed last week, forcing drivers and workers to cut trips, with one anonymous moto taxi driver saying, 'Last time I could fill up my bike was Friday and now I'm running out.'
Regional attacks and Iran's reprisals threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while Global Petrol Prices reported Laos saw the second-biggest rise in premium petrol prices.

Insights by Ground AI