PTT is studying a plan to market super-premium petrol at its premium service stations in order to accommodate luxury cars that cannot run on gasohol.

The plan may pave the way for the scrapping of octane-95 petrol.

"Right now, we're importing octane-100 petrol for sports cars. It's not difficult for the marketing of this super-premium fuel, but we need to study the feasibility, because the market is quite small," Krisanapol Komolboon, executive vice president for the oil business, told a seminar on the future of gasohol yesterday.

Energy deputy permanent secretary Karujit Nakornsap told the seminar that the ministry would not abandon the sale of octane-95 petrol but would urge retailers to stop distribution on a voluntary basis. He said the ministry would step up the campaign to boost gasohol consumption and impose strict rules on gasohol quality.

Daily gasohol consumption is 4.51 million litres, with gasohol 95 at 3.94 million litres. The sale of octane-95 petrol continues despite pressure from ethanol producers to scrap it, as the authorities are concerned about the compatibility of gasohol for some old cars that nominally run on octane-95 petrol. Due to low gasohol consumption, ethanol demand is only 450,000 litres a day, and there are 19 to 20 million litres in excess supply.

Vintage Car Association chairman Kwanchai Papatpong supported the ministry's case, saying about 1,500 vintage cars in Thailand could not use gasohol.

Grand Prix International vice chairman Jaturont Komolmis said the ministry should step up its measures to control gasohol quality.

"When filling up their tanks with gasohol, car-owners don't think about doing something good for farmers. In their mind is how the gasohol will affect their cars. The ministry should come up with a 100-per-cent quality assurance," he said.

Prasert Angkhavinitwong, vice chairman of an auto association, said cars still on the road that were manufactured before 1980 totalled 57,000. Of those, 40,000 could be modified to use gasohol.