PHETCHABUN, THAILAND – A groundwater drilling contractor in Phetchabun warned of possible fraud and negligence at small fuel outlets after claiming he paid 40,000 baht for gasoline but ended up with canisters full of water.
Video warning posted on Facebook
On 16 March, the man posted videos on his Facebook account “à¸à¸³à¸™à¸²à¸ˆ โซล่าเซลล์” showing him and his staff draining water from the system of a bore motor.
He captioned the clips with the line:
“Warning, paid for gasoline but received water”
said Amnat Thueansantier, urging others to take a closer look at what they buy.
Engine stalls – no fuel in the tank
In the video, he recounted that the engine suddenly stopped running, prompting him to check the fuel.
According to his account, he found water instead of gasoline in the tank, which immediately brought operations to a halt.
Who the affected businessman is
The man was later identified as Amnat Thueansantier, who, according to ThaiRath, ran a business for groundwater exploration and well drilling in Nong Phai district.
For companies like his, an idle bore motor meant not only inconvenience but also expensive downtime, as staff and heavy machinery stood unproductive.
The purchase – and the costly bill
Amnat said he had sent his workers to buy gasoline during the shortage at a small shop in Bueng Samphan district and paid 40,000 baht for it.
After refuelling, the bore motor failed to start, and an indicator on the machine reportedly signalled an issue with the injection system.
Good fortune in misfortune – no engine damage
He then had to struggle to find a new source of gasoline, and only with fresh fuel did the motor run normally again.
Amnat stressed that he was fortunate, as the water apparently did not cause lasting damage to the engine.
No lawsuit – but a clear recommendation
He added that his staff had previously bought fuel from the same outlet and, by his estimate, spent about 50,000 to 60,000 baht there without any problems.
Despite online calls for legal action, he said he did not intend to proceed against the shop owner, describing the case simply as bad luck, but advised customers to check canisters and contents carefully after purchase, especially at small fuel stations.
Government seeks to reassure as prices rise
The dispute unfolded against the backdrop of an ongoing fuel shortage, for which Sarawut Kaewtahip, director-general of the Department of Energy Business, apologized.
He assured the public that Thailand had fuel reserves for at least 101 days, attributing shortages at individual stations to distribution problems, even as rising fuel prices on 18 March triggered renewed criticism.
Minister’s remark sparks anger
Energy Minister Attaphol Rerkpiboon came under heavy fire after trying to soften the impact of higher prices with an appeal to the public.
He was quoted as saying:
“If you want to reduce the gasoline price by three baht per liter, you can do it yourself, reduce your usage by 10 percent, then you will spend less.”
said Attaphol Rerkpiboon, Thailand’s energy minister.
Electricity emerges as the next flashpoint
Attaphol also pointed out that higher fuel prices could push up the costs of electricity generation.
At the same time, he promised to avoid raising power tariffs as far as possible in order not to increase the burden on the population further.