The government's energy policy planner is urging food vendors and households to use energy-saving cooking stoves to ease the effects of rising gas prices.
The new high-efficiency stoves use 30-40% less gas.
The Energy Ministry decided to lower its subsidy for cooking gas, and Twarath Sutabutr Sutabutr, deputy director-general of the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department, said the use of high-efficiency cooking stoves will ease the impact of the price increase.
These stoves consume 30-40% less cooking gas than conventional stoves but are unpopular, because with capped cooking gas prices people do not worry about stove efficiency.
Thailand has capped the cooking gas price at 18.13 baht a kilogramme for household use, 12.38 baht in the automotive sector and 28.07 baht for the industrial sector.
The government plans to increase the ceiling price for the household and automobile sectors by 50 satang per kg per month from July until gas in both sectors reaches 24.13 baht per kg.
"Before prices rise, we'll promote high-efficiency stoves to help households and food vendors curb higher expenses," said Mr Twarath, adding that the stove costs 10% more than the conventional model but is worthwhile, given the lower gas consumption.
"A usage comparison sticker will be placed on the stoves similar to the No.5 for electrical appliances, educating consumers that the product saves energy," he said.
With gas prices rising, he predicts high-fuel manufacturers such as ceramics, glass and leather makers will shift from cooking gas for the pre-heating process to solar panels and biomass.
After the price of liquefied petroleum gas gains in the automotive sector, motorists may shift to cheaper gasohol E85, said Mr Twarath.
The department last week announced Thailand's energy intensity index was 0.8:1 last year, equal to the US.
The index measures the growth ratio of energy consumption compared with the growth of gross domestic product (GDP).
Last year, both energy usage and GDP grew by 5%.
Thailand's index was 1.4:1 in 2003, which meant that 1.4% of energy demand growth resulted in 1% GDP growth.