Thread: Petrol in Thailand; which one?

So, we've done the LPG or Petrol thread (or CNG as it turned out). It was very informative, so thanks to everyone that added their comments on that thread.

In the UK, I remember petrol being petrol, you filled up and away you went - sorted, but it all seems so much trickier here...

I've used PTT Gasohol91 (30.4baht/l) which seemed to average around 11km/l in Bkk traffic.
I've used PTT Gasohol95 (31.9baht/l) which seems to average around 11.7km/l in Bkk traffic.
I haven't done the maths yet, but there doesn't seem to be much, if anything, in it (I 'feel' I'm doing very slightly better on the Gasohol91).

After advice from the board my next few tanks will be:

PTT E20
PTT benzine. It seems that PTT is NOT the way to go, but I wanna keep my test consistent.
Shell benzine.
Bangchak Gasohol91.

This should let me know how the car's doing in city driving conditions - the early betting says that the Shell benzine might do the best overall, I'm interested in cost per litre, in Bkk driving conditions, while the Bangchak Gasohol91 might do best on longer runs.

Any thoughts? Please share your experiences and advice. Frankly, I expected a bit better from the new Honda City, but maybe I'm just out of the loop - haven't driven for years; didn't want a car either, but the missus did, so here we are...

^ Positive comments were made about the Caltex benzine/gasohol too, so that will join the list.

My motorcycle is rather sensitive to fuel quality, so I know a wee bit.

Right now the best available fuel is the Shell 95 gasohol V-Power(red pump today 35.43 baht/L). Not to be mistaken with the cheaper 95 gasohol 95 in the yellow pump.

After that the PTT 95 seems fine though noticeably a lesser fuel that the Shell.

The best used to be the Caltex 95 pure benzine, which had a disappearance long ago. Shell had a very brief renewal of a 95 V-Power pure benzine which lasted barely a year.
Now 95 pure benzine is all gone.
For a late model Honda city it probably doesn't mater which fuel you use as the modern sensors in that engine will compensate for lower quality fuel.
But if you want the best power from that engine the Shell 95 V-Power is the ticket.
If you go out and do a high speed highway run that would be the best choice.
Around town it probably doesn't matter much.

Diesel... thread closed.....

Damn thats too much math for me. At the military pump on the way to work. Its 1.20 cheaper than on the street. PTT. 95 gasahol never had a problem after having to switch from normal 95. Older car with 265,00 on the clock. Still running well with regular maintenance.

That surprises me, you should find a difference between the green 91 gasohol and the red 91 gasoline, but not between the 2 grades of gasohol.

^ whose that aimed to, Bob?

Thanks Mr Earl Shell 95 gasohol V-Power is on my list; I'm hoping I'll find something to help around town. Maybe Shell benzine 91, is that still getable?

Originally Posted by jandajoy

Diesel... thread closed.....

Killjoy, I don't drive tractors!

Originally Posted by aging one

PTT. 95 gasahol

So, far, it has been the best, but I'm hoping to find better; especially around town.

Gasahol 95 gives my car a 25% drop in mileage which is probably due to requiring a lot more power to accellerate. Nissan says use the best octane for the best performance.

& it's not 25% cheaper. I've heard this from a few people who say that the good benzines are the best options around the city - my next tank will be benzine - probably the PTT one, so that I can compare with the other PTT fuels I've tried.

Can't beat diesel motors nowadays

^ maybe, but that won't be helping me any time soon... Actually, I was just thinking this morning how nice a Focus 2litre TD would be.

I use Shell V-power diesel.

I'm a bit unhappy with my figures today, as opposed to my figure which makes me (and the missus) unhappy everyday.

I did the maths, helped by the NZ AA website cause I'm a bit slow, and my tank of PTT gasohol91 managed just under 10km/l around Bkk. The 11.1 km/l I mentioned before was the computers figure and must have averaged out with the half tank of PTT gasohol95 I put in on the first day (the maths comes together more or less because the metre was reading between 11.7 and 12 for the gasohol95).

That gives me a cost per kilometre of just over 3 baht. I was expecting closer to 2 baht/km.

So, tomorrow I'll fill up. I think I'll try the Shell95 V-power from the red pump, and see what she does for me. Sooner or later I'll have to try her on the E20 too, if that gives similar mileage to the gasohol91 then the cost per kilometre will be okayish, well better anyway. Also, I'll try other brands - it's gonna be expensive finding the right fuel...

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

I've used PTT Gasohol91 (30.4baht/l) which seemed to average around 11km/l in Bkk traffic. I've used PTT Gasohol95 (31.9baht/l) which seems to average around 11.7km/l in Bkk traffic.

I don`t see how you are going to measure your fuel consumption with only 1 tank of what ever fuel you put in. I am just about sure you are not driving in the same conditions ( temperture,moisture,load ect ) every tank. I think you need a minimum of 3/4 tanks or maybe even more to workout your average use.
cheers
johpam

^ probably right, early doors...

^ Mr Earl.

Only one engine for the city 1.5 120ps (or bhp...), it's not slow, but I rarely push it over 3000 rpm... sometimes to block off a new pickup or big car that's trying to cut me up - nearly had a few fights, I should probably relax, but some of them are selfish fukers; I don't really enjoy letting them take take take...

I did the final calculation on the PTTgasohol91 which worked out at 9.5km/l around Bkk - poor, I won't be using that stuff again; I've heard similar figures from other Bkk Honda City drivers too.

Just put in Bangchak red pump benzine91 cause I'm surrounded by loads of PTT and my options are limited (they must be raking it in!). I happened to hit the orange light around home rather than the Shell garage on the way to work. The computer after 10km or so is already showing a better km/l and a much higher tank range, so I'm optimistic that this'll be the stuff for around town. If I can go 15 km/l on this stuff around town then that'll reduce my fuel costs by 15-20% which'd put me just where I wanna be...

Another ignorant question: what's the difference between benzine 91 and benzine 95? Is 95 more expensive, but better on the miles? Anywhere sell the stuff?

Thanks, BB

Have a look at this link:

EPPO : Retail Oil Prices in Bangkok TODAY

Updated petrol prices, available fuels, links to Thai websites, etc.

There's a Susco by me, so I can try out their benzine95 next time I fill up, currently at 42.04 a litre.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

^
Another ignorant question: what's the difference between benzine 91 and benzine 95? Is 95 more expensive, but better on the miles? Anywhere sell the stuff?

Thanks, BB

95/91 is the octane rating. Actually 95 RON(research octane number) which is the European scale.
Anyway the higher number the fuel burns a little hotter and slower.

Sadly pure 95 benzine is no longer available. I suppose they didn't sell enough of it. At 45 baht a liter it was expensive. But you really need a high performance engine to make the most of it. It would be a waste running it in you average econobox.

Many high-performance engines are designed to operate with a high maximum compression, and thus demand high-octane premium gasoline. A common misconception is that power output or fuel mileage can be improved by burning higher octane fuel than a particular engine was designed for. The power output of an engine depends in part on the energy density of its fuel, but similar fuels with different octane ratings have similar density. Since switching to a higher octane fuel does not add any more hydrocarbon content or oxygen, the engine cannot produce more power.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Have a look at this link:

EPPO : Retail Oil Prices in Bangkok TODAY

Updated petrol prices, available fuels, links to Thai websites, etc.

There's a Susco by me, so I can try out their benzine95 next time I fill up, currently at 42.04 a litre.

That's good to know you can still get 95 benzine Shell and Caltex have quit carrying it.

Right, update time.

Not very bloody happy at all. That Bangjak 91 benzine was 36.24 baht per litre and managed a rather crap 9.2 km/l which meant a cost per km of 4 baht... Same price as a taxi. To be fair to the fuel, I've been out with the missus everyday (her driving, me screaming...) so it's the worst possible conditions: learner driver and Bkk traffic.

Today was a big day: Shell V-POWER 95 (supposed to be RON97, or so I read somewhere in one of my sadder moments...). I'd taken the tank right down to about 9km left, so under a litre of that bloody 91 benzine stuff, and filled her up with the 34.83 baht per litre Ferrari inspired racing fuel for streetcars..? Reset the computer. Straight out of the station and onto a clear 'racing road', upto 100kph and the baby was at 15km/l and feeling smoother and quicker than she has ever felt before. I was loving it, turned a corner and then took the next 90 minutes to travel between ThaPra and Bangmod (fuking stupid roadworks blocking many lanes with every driver weaving between every lane and back again...) aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh. The computer made it down to 6km/l, the worst I've ever seen.

So, basically, it's the fuking Bkk traffic that fuks the little motor over. Not much the Honda engineers/designers can do about rotit mak mak, (rotit mai yut?). Nonetheless, I'm feeling good about this fuel. Already got the average back up to 10km/l & I reckon we're gonna get the best mileage on this fuel and the best engine performance too.

As, Mr Earl says, the higher RON burning hotter and slower should be good for the car and mileage, plus it's cheaper than the 91 benzine.

A note to meself: this garage is the same one that I put 500 baht's worth of 95gasohol in on the day I got the car; it's a shell garage; & the gasohol95 worked out giving better mileage and better economy than either the 91gaSOHOL OR 91Bbenzine, so I'm starting to think that 95 is the way to go...

Managed to find a place with E20 2 days ago and my tank was down to about 30k's so almost empty. I think it was 28 or 29bt per liter. Pretty much filled the tank with 1000bt, (it was one of those crappy self service, pay before you get the goods garages) and reset the clock.

I can definitely feel a difference in performance. I'm not sure if its quieter or smoother, can't quiet put my finger on it. Anyway I'll be back with the millage results later but I've got a good feeling about it.

^ It'd be interesting to see how your little beauty is doing around Bkk FP.

Also, very interesting to see if the E20 is okay enginewise (power) and gives you okayish mileage.

With the V-POWER it added power straight away (where as the 91benzine seemed no more powerful than the gasohol), so if the mileage is on a par with the others, I'll stick with it.

Originally Posted by BobR

That surprises me, you should find a difference between the green 91 gasohol and the red 91 gasoline, but not between the 2 grades of gasohol.

I thought the same BobR, but it seems to be the other way - the two 95's I've used are the best two fuels. The two 91's seemed the same, and lesser... Don't know why, but Mr Earls explanation is one I'll happily accept cause it seems to follow through in my experience thusfar.

Originally Posted by The Fresh Prince

Managed to find a place with E20

Here's a half tank update on the E20.

I haven't really had much of a chance to boot it over the last couple of days with the weather being bad but economy wise, things seem to be going very well. According to my computer (which I always suspect of trying to give me good news to make me feel good) at the half tank mark I still have 297km remaining.

Normally at the half tank mark with 91 or 95, I will have somewhere between 250-260km remaining.

As I said I've had little chance to boot it except for last night on the way home when I got a small chance and it seemed to pull away and cruise at speed the same as it does normally.