Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said on Monday the agencies would meet to discuss an “urgent” problem, costing the country’s petroleum industry up to Bt50 million per day.

Wissanu said there were four possible ways to tackle the problem: First, transfer the ALRO land to the government; second, amend the ALRO law; third, issue new ALRO rules; and fourth, issue an NCPO Article 44 order.

“The government is now carefully considering the most appropriate solution for the ALRO land problem, and we have to understand that times have changed and the ALRO land use should also change as well,” he said.

The government is set to employ the special power of Article 44 of the provisional charter to allow petroleum exploitation in areas managed by the ALRO.

But civil society groups oppose the use of Article 44 and say ALRO land was originally allocated to benefit landless people – not big corporations.