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Asia encourages four-day weeks, work from home as fuel crisis deepens - VnExpress International The most read Vietnamese newspaper Follow us on Edition: International | Vietnamese Home News Politics Education Environment Traffic Crime Brainteaser Business DataSpeaks Property Billionaires Markets Companies Economy Money Quiz Tech Tech news Enterprises Personalities Vietnam innovation Challenge hub Travel Places Food Guide Visa Puzzle Life Trend Arts Celebrities Vogue Love Wellness Sports Football Boxing Marathon Tennis Golf Other sports Trivia World Perspectives Readers' Views VnE-GO Premium Contact Us © Copyright 1997 VnExpress.net. All rights reserved. Go Business DataSpeaks Property Billionaires Companies Markets Economy Money Quiz Copy link Most Read 1. Gold prices decline 2. Southeast Asia's 2nd most powerful passport achieves highest ranking ever 3. 'My dad doesn't deserve to be happy': Alysa Liu 4. Vingroup proposes $3.5B bridge and underwater tunnel across Ho Chi Minh City bay 5. Singapore Airlines, Scoot extend flight cancellations amid escalating Middle East conflict 6. Gasoline prices plummet 7. Meet Chinese math genius Wei Dongyi: Two-time IMO gold medalist who lives on just $44 a month 8. South Korean youth swap coffee for tea amid growing health concerns 9. 11 Vietnamese universities among Southeast Asia's best in first regional ranking 10. Vietnam building 27 mega real estate projects worth over $115B: report Asia encourages four-day weeks, work from home as fuel crisis deepens By Dat Nguyen  March 12, 2026 | 09:07 pm PT Asian governments are scrambling to cope with a fuel crisis caused by the Middle East conflict, urging businesses to consider four-day work weeks, allow employees to work from home and encourage the use of stairs instead of elevators to save energy. Thailand on Tuesday instructed civil servants to take the stairs instead of elevators and to work from home for the duration of the crisis, Reuters reported. A row of taxis wait for passengers on a street in Bangkok on November 10, 2022. Photo by AFP Authorities also raised the temperature setting for air-conditioning to 27 degrees Celsius and plan to advise government employees to wear short-sleeved shirts instead of suits.Nearly 68% of Thailand's energy needs are met from natural gas. Over half of its liquefied natural gas is sourced from domestic production in the Gulf of Thailand, while 35% comes from imports, including 13% from neighboring Myanmar, according to the country's Energy Regulatory Commission.Vietnam has similarly urged businesses to allow employees to work from home to reduce the need for travel and transportation.In the Philippines, officials are advocating for a four-day work week and have directed government personnel to limit travel to essential functions only, Nikkei reported.Bangladesh moved forward a holiday, allowing universities to close earlier in an effort to conserve fuel, while Pakistan introduced a four-day work week for government offices and shut schools.Meanwhile, India suspended shipments of liquefied petroleum gas to commercial users in order to prioritize household supplies, prompting concerns among hotels and restaurants that they could be forced to shut down without fuel.Some governments are intervening more directly in energy markets. On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said the country would impose a price cap on petroleum products, warning that the current situation poses a significant burden on the country’s economy, according to The Korea Times.About 1.7 million barrels per day of oil destined for South Korea has been withheld due to the ongoing conflict.Japan’s industry minister, Ryosei Akazawa, said on Wednesday that authorities have not ruled out tapping the country’s strategic oil reserves, adding that Japan "will take all possible measures to ensure stable supplies of energy."Also on Monday, Indonesia’s finance minister said the government would allocate IDR381.3 trillion (US$22.6 billion) for energy subsidies and compensate state energy companies such as Pertamina to keep fuel and electricity prices affordable.Thailand plans to freeze cooking gas prices through May and encourage consumers to shift to alternative fuels such as biodiesel and benzene. Vietnam is also slashing environmental tax on fuel.Oil markets have seen sharp swings in recent days. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude briefly climbed above $115 per barrel on Monday before fluctuating as conflicting statements emerged from Washington. By Thursday morning, WTI crude had retreated to above $94 per barrel.The U.S. said Wednesday it would release 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic petroleum reserve in a bid to reduce oil prices that have soared due to supply shocks from the U.S.-Israeli’s attacks on Iran. Comments (0) Latest first | Highest rated Latest firstHighest rated View more 20/1000 Tắt chia sẻ Log out 0/1000