Gasohol Fuel in Thailand
The following fuel types and designations are available in Thailand:
- Benzene 95 (yellow)
- Benzene 91 (red)
- Gasohol 95 (orange)
- Gasohol 91 (green)
Gasohol is widely available in Thailand. It is a mixture of 90 percent Gasoline and 10 percent Ethanol in and is also known as E10. It's use is gaining momentum around the world, with Thailand being one of the major users, the government aggressively promoting it's use and benefits. Even so, it can sometimes be hard to find outside the major cities, Gasohol 91 in particular.
Some people claim there is a loss in performance when using this fuel type, whereas others claim the performance is improved. We have tried both fuel types in our three year old vehicle and haven't noticed any difference in performance whatsoever.
That said, only the newest cars in Thailand are guaranteed to run well on an E10 mix long term. Older cars are often reported having major breakdowns, or suffering fuel system problems, due to the incompatibility of engine parts. More seriously, motorcyclists should check very carefully with their bike manufacturer or dealer about compatibility with such fuels before using it them and if you're not sure, stick with Benzene.
The advantages of Gasohol are as follows...
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- It's cheaper than regular Gasoline
- It's better for the environment
- Less unwanted deposits inside your engine
- Ethanol prevents fuel from freezing... although this quality is obviously of little benefit in tropical Thailand
Nearly all cars manufactured since 1995 can run on E10 Gasohol without any modifications. With production of this type of fuel increasing in Thailand, you can expect to see it's availability increase accordingly, with more and more incentives to make the switch coming from the government, vehicle manufacturers and fuel outlets. See also: Gasohol vs Benzene on the forum.
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