Two Gas Stations Fined For Cheating

Two gas stations fined for cheating

PHUKET CITY: -- Following consumer complaints, two “low-cost” gas stations were fined 5,000 baht apiece by the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) for overcharging motorists by tampering with fuel pumps, or using pumps that were not operating to standard.

On January 18, Supoj Petchsri, Chief of Weights and Measures at the Phuket Provincial Commerce Office, led a team of local MoC officials to two independent filling stations. Both stations had put up signs advertising their gas prices as 10 satang per liter or more below the normal market price.

An inspection of the first station, at 33 Wichit Songkram Rd and owned by Pattana Petroleum and Gas Co Ltd, found that three of six pumps had been modified in such a way as to dispense less fuel than indicated on the pump display.

The three malfunctioning pumps were t agged with official closure notices and the owner was fined 5,000 baht.

From there, the team went to inspect a station located at 89 Thepkrasattri Rd and owned by Sor Thai Rung Pattana Petroleum Co Ltd. Two of the 10 pumps there were found not to be operating to standard.

They were also ordered out of service pending repair and the owner was fined 5,000 baht.

As this was the first offense for both companies, they were allowed to continue operating with the pumps that had not been modified, K. Supoj said.

K. Supoj said the investigation followed complaints about cheating at both stations. Motorists who went in for a fill-up might never notice the discrepancy, though it would be obvious to anyone bringing a gas can to be filled, he said.

--Phuket Gazette 2006-01-20