Thailand’s Solar Panel Promotion Bill Receives Mixed Reactions

A proposed bill aimed at promoting the installation of solar panels in Thailand is receiving both praise and criticism from stakeholders, with the Thai Photovoltaic Industries Association recently weighing in on potential shortcomings in the draft legislation.

The debate gained traction following comments posted on the social media platform X by Treerat Sirichantaropas, a former politician and current CEO of New Energy Plus Solutions.

Treerat expressed concern that the bill grants excessive authority to the energy minister, who would have the sole power to issue regulations covering everything from solar panel installation procedures to electricity trading.

He warned that this centralization of power could result in misuse, potentially hindering rather than facilitating solar adoption, contrary to the bill's stated intentions.

In contrast, Professor Dusit Kraungam, chairman of the Thai Photovoltaic Industries Association, offered a more optimistic interpretation. He stated that the bill is structured around general principles for encouraging solar installation and does not explicitly require all permissions to be funneled through the Energy Ministry.

He acknowledged that the draft law is broadly written and would still need to be supported by detailed organic laws outlining the implementation process.

Prof. Dusit welcomed the bill, noting that it could simplify the bureaucratic process currently required for solar panel installation—particularly for rooftop systems—by eliminating unnecessary delays caused by multiple permit requests.

He believes the new law could provide much-needed relief for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggling under economic pressure, encouraging them to adopt solar technology to cut electricity costs.

Thailand’s total solar power generation capacity—spanning solar farms, floating solar arrays, and rooftop panels—has now exceeded 4,000 megawatts. This figure includes both grid-connected systems and those operating under independent power supply agreements.

Although the bill’s public consultation period officially ended on May 30, Treerat remains vocal in his opposition. He further criticized the legislation for giving the minister the power to define acceptable solar equipment, assign regulatory authority over the power supply system, designate eligible power purchasers, and determine electricity pricing.

In a related development, Thailand’s Energy Regulatory Commission is conducting a public hearing on new licensing criteria for private power producers. These criteria are aimed at businesses within industrial estates that wish to produce electricity for their use or outsource generation under independent power supply agreements.