Maneeya Dhammataree

If you type in the words 'LPG' (liquid petroleum gas) or 'NGV' (natural gas for vehicles) into a popular search engine, you'll get around 30 pages of results.

The world price of crude oil has been soaring over recent months, leading to an unpleasant level of unpredictability for motorists, who can only guess how much it'll cost them to fill up their tanks at the pumps. The price of benzene in Thailand reached an all-time high of 41 baht (US$1.18) per liter during June and July, although it has since eased slightly over recent weeks.

Indeed, the current fuel crisis is a highly topical subject these days in Bangkok, a city in which the transport system struggles to adequately serve its huge population. In a bid to deal with the situation, government agencies agreed some time ago to focus on the promotion of natural gas as a fuel, along with other alternative fuel sources. Gas was a particularly popular choice since the country can source supplies domestically.

Thailand's natural gas comes from domestic gas fields in the Gulf in Thailand, or is imported from neighboring Myanmar. LPG can also be sourced locally and is then subject to refinery fractionation. These fuel sources have become extremely popular in Thailand's domestic market amid surging petroleum prices.

To demonstrate the increasing importance gas is playing in the Thai market, consider the following. Gasthai.com, the largest online community in Thailand for information regarding gas installation, received an average of two million clicks per month on average this year. This adds up to 15.9 million clicks during the period January-August, 2008, an increase of more than 8.9 million over the corresponding period last year.

The figures for June and July, when the price of benzene hit its high, were particularly strong as more and more folks considered switching over to a gas-fueled system. Indeed, there was even a shortage of conversion kits during this period.

Surge in popularity

While the Thai government has actively worked to promote greater use of NGV through the use of subsidies and other means, LPG has become a more popular option among those people considering an engine conversion.

Rungchai Jantasing, the founder of GasThai.com, says 500,000 vehicles have been converted to run on LPG, while only 100,000 vehicles can run on NGV. The main reason for this is that converting a vehicle to run on NGV costs 40,000-45,000 baht (US$1.160-1,305) compared with just 15,000-18,000 baht for an LPG conversion. These prices relate to the installation of a fixed mixer system only. Adding a fuel injection system raises the installation costs to 60,000-65,000 baht and 30,000-35,000 baht, respectively.

LPG is also a more practical option for the time being since there are more service stations available both in Bangkok and in the provinces. However, the government is trying to address this situation by building more and more NGV stations across the country.

Put safety first

Another major concern at present is 'rogue' installers. A large number of web forums and blogs focusing on motoring demonstrate the scope of the problem with numerous posters taking issue with the situation. Posters largely bemoan the number of unqualified operators currently carrying out such work in Thailand due to a lack of a licensing system.

The most common faults when having a car converted are: tanks being fitted in the wrong position (with a gap of less than 35 centimeters between the tank and the rear of the trunk); starting (ignition) problems; problems affecting the air-conditioning unit; as well as leaks. High-pressure tanks (NGV: 3,000 PSI, LPG: 120 PSI) can easily explode if an unqualified, inexperienced, or careless installer tries to carry out a tank replacement.

Rungchai said vehicle owners can prevent such problems by first ensuring that the regular (petrol-driven) engine is functioning properly. When choosing someone to install another form of fuel system, always check on the installation company's qualifications and experience in such matters. Check around for reputable installers online, or, better still, ask around among colleagues, friends, or family members.

It's important to check on specific information regarding your vehicle's make and model and ensure that the kit being prepared for installation is appropriate and endorsed by the manufacturer. It's certainly worth investing some time in getting to know the basics of your vehicle's engine since you will then be far better placed to deal with day-to-day care and maintenance. There are certainly more and more resources providing information on such matters, while it is also a popular topic among commuters who rely on maintaining a car or similar vehicle.

While gas seems to be a hugely popular fuel choice among the Thai population at the present time given the potential cost savings, 'duel fuel' vehicles, which run on either gas or petrol, would seem to be the next growing trend in the increasingly complex world of motoring.