PATTAYA, Thailand – A car owner is urging motorists to be cautious after experiencing significant car trouble following a refuelling stop at a petrol station in Nongprue, East Pattaya, on August 21. After filling her white Toyota Avanza with 1,000 baht worth of gasoline, the vehicle began to malfunction just 1 kilometre from the station, with the engine warning light coming on.
Ms Saengarun R, 44, managed to pull over on Sukhumvit Road but was forced to stop as the car’s performance deteriorated. A mechanic diagnosed a faulty fourth fuel injector, which showed signs of carbon build-up and moisture. The spark plugs were also blackened with soot, leading Ms Sangarun to suspect contaminated fuel as the cause. She had the car towed back to the gas station to address the issue.
The petrol station manager assured Ms Saengarun that their fuel met quality standards and was not contaminated. They measured the fuel in their storage tanks with the car owner and police present but refused to test the fuel in Ms Sangarun’s vehicle, citing potential complications if the fuel was found to be contaminated.
Ms Saengarun, who had heard of similar incidents but never expected it to happen to her, expressed frustration at the station’s refusal to take responsibility. She has since brought her car in for repairs and filed a report with the Nongprue Police Station. She is considering legal action depending on the repair costs, aiming to protect consumer rights and ensure that similar issues are addressed by authorities.
