Southeast Asian countries have restarted "working from home" to combat high oil prices and are adopting an extreme energy-saving mode.

From Bangkok to Manila, officials from various Southeast Asian countries are gradually rolling out remote work orders and other energy-saving measures to protect their economies from the impact of soaring oil prices. Thailand is requiring most government agencies to adopt full-time work-from-home arrangements as part of emergency measures to reduce energy demand. The Philippines has sought to reduce fuel consumption by cutting work hours, with government employees shifting to a four-day work week starting on March 9. Meanwhile, the Malaysian government will decide on the feasibility of work-from-home arrangements for civil servants on Tuesday. These actions underscore that in economies where fuel is a core input and subsidies are limited, rising oil prices will quickly impact transportation, electricity, and food expenses. Economists believe the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the region to the inflation risks triggered by high oil prices; while Thailand is highly dependent on Middle Eastern oil - consuming around 124 million liters of refined oil per day - making it highly vulnerable to supply disruptions.