Buying gas in Koh Samui, Thailand.
Gas is sold next to the road and it is very easy to spot the vendors. When you rent a scooter in Koh Samui, you are often left with an empty tank, or just enough to get you to a place to fill up.
Rows and rows of glass bottles are lined up on stands next to the road and normally a sign is posted that says “Gas”. I found this fascinating when we first arrived in Koh Samui because we didn’t know what were in the glass bottles. First I thought they were selling alcohol because the substance looked a lot like Brandy.
How to fill up your tank with gas when in Koh Samui?
It is very cheap in Thailand especially when you are travelling with a scooter. It takes two bottles to fill up a tank and this will cost you about 100 Baht. Two bottles are normally sufficient to fill up your scooter. Pull in at the street vendor and ask to fill up your scooter. The person will help you to fill up the scooter and in a couple of minutes you are ready to explore the island with a full tank.
However, after saying all of that, it is much cheaper to fill your scooter up at the service station. You will pay about 40 Baht per liter. Sometimes it is just more convenient to buy from the people next to the road but it will cost you a lot more money.
If the company where you rent the scooter from offer to fill the tank for you, don`t do it. They charge almost 150 Baht for two liters.
I am not sure if this procedure also applies in other parts of Thailand. I have seen people at Koh Phangan filling up their scooters at the vendors next to the road. Some places didn’t have a sign and you could only identify it by the orange coloured bottles standing around.
Where: Koh Samui,Thailand
When: March 2013