New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

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VincentD
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by VincentD »

Buksi
the yellow 'benzine 95' was (almost) forced out in a similar crusade - stations selling this grade were threatened with severe penalties if caught. It wasn't just a 'we're taking it off the market' thing at the time. It still seems silly in that you can still get 98 octane petrol in Singapore, so yes, have to agree with VS that this appears to be politically engineered.
I have noticed that it is beginning to appear in the provinces again, which is good for me as the car I now drive is optimised for that. Do note that before 91 was removed, 95 octane was just short of 50 baht a liter.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

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We just returned from a 5 day driving trip of Issan and nowhere could I find "Benzine" 91 (red) or 95 (yellow). I watched all the stations we passed and it did not exist. We had to fuel my old 2004 model with 95 (orange) gasohol all the way. Can't wait to see what happens to the motor in a year or so. :cuss: :banghead:
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

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hhfarang wrote:We just returned from a 5 day driving trip of Issan and nowhere could I find "Benzine" 91 (red) or 95 (yellow). I watched all the stations we passed and it did not exist. We had to fuel my old 2004 model with 95 (orange) gasohol all the way. Can't wait to see what happens to the motor in a year or so. :cuss: :banghead:
Those relatively new Caltex stations along Rama 2 Rd have 95 "Benzine' yellow. But at 48.6 Baht / litre you may want to leave it there. The only problem I have had with Gasohol is perished seals on the fuel injectors. The engine itself is unlikely to suffer any major problems.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by STEVE G »

But at 48.6 Baht / litre you may want to leave it there.
Personally, I don't see a problem with that if you really want the stuff, surely fuel subsidies aren't there for rich Farangs to swan about the country at the Thai tax payers expense.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by Nereus »

STEVE G wrote:
But at 48.6 Baht / litre you may want to leave it there.
Personally, I don't see a problem with that if you really want the stuff, surely fuel subsidies aren't there for rich Farangs to swan about the country at the Thai tax payers expense.
And WTF is that supposed to mean? Where does it say it should be subsidised? :?
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by dtaai-maai »

The Thai tax payers - there's an interesting concept!
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by STEVE G »

Nereus wrote:
STEVE G wrote:
But at 48.6 Baht / litre you may want to leave it there.
Personally, I don't see a problem with that if you really want the stuff, surely fuel subsidies aren't there for rich Farangs to swan about the country at the Thai tax payers expense.
And WTF is that supposed to mean? Where does it say it should be subsidised? :?
I wasn't having a go at you Nereus but lower grades of fuel are subsidised by the Thai government at a ridiculous expense and obviously if you choose to use anything else, you're going to have to pay the going rate for it.
I think that something like 10% of the Thai budget goes towards subsidising fuel.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

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dtaai-maai wrote:The Thai tax payers - there's an interesting concept!
I can't remember whre but I did see the statistics for the highest tax band (37%), which has now been reduced to 35%. The number of tax payers in this bracket was in the '000s. Unbeliebable when you consider the 10s of thousands of generals, multi millionares, working ex pats, etc etc.

I often feel that I am one of the few in this country actually paying tax at the appropraiate rate....(the company I work for is a foreign company operating under the forign buisness act and can not put a foot forward unless it 100% complys for fear of loosing it's status)
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by buksida »

Bristolian wrote: I often feel that I am one of the few in this country actually paying tax
You're not the only one!

:offtopic: I'm pretty sure the abolishment of 91 red has nothing to do with easing the financial burdens of poor people in Thailand, who mostly drive old jalopys that run on it. The move, which has happened before, appears to be politically engineered and some government office somewhere is making money out of it. It has been replaced by higher octane, equally polluting, 95 super and the only difference is a minor increase in cost so ... what was the point?

Please send answers on the back of a two-baht stamp to PO Box 900, Office of Bright Ideas, Ministry of Profit, Government House.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by STEVE G »

It has been replaced by higher octane, equally polluting, 95 super and the only difference is a minor increase in cost so ... what was the point?
I think the idea is to encourage people to use more ethanol, which you can grow in Thailand, instead of fossil fuels which Thailand will run out of by about 2020. The fuel subsidies that exist at the moment would be unsustainable with imported oil at today's prices.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by Dannie Boy »

According to latest information from they UK, a litre of unleaded costs about 55p to produce and the retailer gets about 5p a litre so in total 60-61p equivalent to about 31-32 baht. As those from the UK know, the rest of the cost is made up of tax and VAT with the total at least 135p a litre for unleaded.

Assuming the cost of production is the same in Thailand, the Govt must be adding some tax to the basic price and then applying a discount?
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by STEVE G »

Yes, I think in the case of 91 octane the subsidy is in the form of a tax discount. If you buy a tanker full of the stuff on the international market, it works out at about 27 bt a liter.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by buksida »

STEVE G wrote: I think the idea is to encourage people to use more ethanol
That maybe true but older engines, especially carburetor powered ones, do not take too well to ethanol! Maybe it was a cunning ploy to put the population further into debt by making them buy new cars! :mrgreen:

While we're on the subject can someone tell me the difference between Gasohol and E20, I know the latter is Ethanol 20%, so what mixture is the Gasohol?
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STEVE G
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

Post by STEVE G »

While we're on the subject can someone tell me the difference between Gasohol and E20, I know the latter is Ethanol 20%, so what mixture is the Gasohol?
I think Gasohol is 10%. You don't really need it for cars anyway, I haven't owned anything but a diesel since 1994 and the Honda Wave doesn't seem to care what you put in it.
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Re: New Year to see end of 91-octane petrol

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buksida wrote:That maybe true but older engines, especially carburetor powered ones, do not take too well to ethanol! Maybe it was a cunning ploy to put the population further into debt by making them buy new cars! :mrgreen:
Absolutely! The members of government have probably never owned a vehicle more than two year's old, and know nothing about the workings of a combustion engine. Many of the not so well off people in NP drive around in aged petrol-driven cars. They can't afford to (and probably don't know that they need to) have the valve seals, or other seals, replaced. They certainly can't afford to buy a car less than 10 year's old. One day their only means of transport will just cease to get them from A to B. :cuss:

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