"Air Conditioners Banned Below 27°C Despite 40°C Heat Wave: Middle East War Leaves Southeast Asia Sweltering Indoors"

As energy supply concerns have increased due to the aftermath of the Middle East war, Southeast Asian countries are imposing restrictions on air conditioning. With temperatures recently soaring to around 40 degrees Celsius, more people are complaining about the heat as air conditioner settings are required to be maintained above certain levels.

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According to Bloomberg and other media reports on April 29 (local time), major Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore have recently begun restricting air conditioning temperatures, mainly in public institutions. This is a measure to reduce electricity consumption following the Middle East war.

Since early last month, Thailand has mandated that air conditioners in public institutions be set to 26-27 degrees Celsius. However, as the heat wave has continued for several weeks with maximum temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, more people are complaining about the heat in their offices. Some are using personal fans or moving to cooler commercial facilities.

The situation is similar in the Philippines. The government has required that the air conditioning temperature in government offices be kept above 24 degrees Celsius, but since the beginning of this month, temperatures in some regions have exceeded 38 degrees Celsius. Public institutions have responded by allowing employees to wear lightweight, breathable clothing instead of formal suits. Elmore Capule, Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, stated, "Our staff understand that this is a crisis situation."

Malaysia has also made it mandatory to maintain air conditioner temperatures at 24 degrees Celsius or higher in public office buildings and is encouraging the wearing of cool clothing such as shirts made from traditional fabrics.

Singapore has expanded its guidelines not only to set temperature limits for air conditioning but also to manage the usage times of air conditioners, elevators, and lighting. The country is also implementing energy-saving policies, such as providing discount vouchers for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances.

Beyond restricting air conditioning, these countries are also pursuing measures to reduce overall electricity demand. Thailand and others are considering or implementing remote work or a four-day workweek, and are introducing energy-saving measures such as encouraging the use of public transportation.

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