He is the second person after a Ferrari owner to complain about a negative experience with gasohol from an Esso station in Chon Buri's Bang Saen municipality.

Metta Banterngsook, director-general of the Energy Business Department, said the Energy Ministry will handle such cases on an individual basis as it could not assume that gasohol was causing all the problems. "We are investigating the quality of the fuel and if the stations are found not to be complying with the regulations, they will be subject to imprisonment and fines," he said.

The Energy Ministry expects to establish this week if the Esso station's gasohol really caused engine problems in the Ferrari, he said. "A sample has been collected and we'll find out if the gasohol is contaminated. Our responsibility is to check the gasohol's quality, but the Esso station must take care of the damage to the car as the fuel distributor."

The investigation must be conclusive in order to educate and convince consumers, he said, while admitting the incidents could shake the confidence of gasohol users. "All auto-makers have given assurances that gasohol is compatible with all cars that have been made after 1995," he said.

A ministry source said that following the complaint by the Ferrari owner, Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand planned to call a meeting with top officials.

Metta said major oil retailers have taken steps to protect against dirty fuel by having their stations clean their gasohol storage tanks and handle the fuel carefully.

However, independent stations lack such measures and the Energy Business Department with a Bt20 million budget is helping these small operators in cleaning out their tanks, before they start selling gasohol.

The ministry will still push ahead with promoting gasohol consumption, which has hit 4 million litres a day. Over half of 95-octane petrol users still remain loyal to their fuel.