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Published on November 3, 2007

Fuel Freedom International (FFI), a direct-sales company based in the US, announced yesterday the opening of an office in Bangkok, its eighth, and the launch here of its MPG-Caps, which it says save fuel in vehicles.

Randy Ray, co-owner of the company, says MPG-Caps are capsules put in diesel or petrol tanks that dissolves, catalysing fuel and dramatically improving performance through quicker, cleaner combustion.

The result is a saving of 7-14 per cent in fuel costs, Ray says.

"The company's laboratory research shows that with the capsule in the tank the vehicle has more power, goes faster and saves energy. It causes fuel to burn more completely. It also cleans up the environment, because it reduces emissions by more than 75 per cent. And that's in the lab: I think it can reduce them by nearly 100 per cent in a real situation," Ray said.

He added that the company guaranteed the product would not harm engines and would reimburse customers not satisfied with it.

"I can't reveal the company's target for business in Thailand right now. We have to discuss it next week, and I will reveal it then," he said.

He said FFI had operated for two years in more than 150 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Australia, through 230,000 independent distributors.

In its first 17 months it generated revenue of some US$100 million (Bt3.39 billion). In its second year, it doubled growth, and Ray expects continuing good performance with the high oil price.

He said he had chosen Thailand for the office because Thailand had a major pollution problem and he believed Thais were concerned by the price of oil. The company will use Thailand as its Southeast Asian distribution base.

Country manager Suchat Chaichana said FFI had invested more than $200,000 in the

new office. Although FFI will not operate fully until early next year, it will start selling the product immediately.

Suchat said its marketing plan involved a multi-level marketing system, which it used elsewhere.

"Although we can't disclose the company's business target at present, I believe it will show good performance in Thailand, because Thai consumers want a product to save on energy with the oil crisis. MPG-Caps will be an alternative for them," he said.

He added that FFI planned to seek cooperation with the Thai government and would introduce seven or eight products, among them a car wash and a capsule for very large engines, as soon as possible.

Nalin Viboonchart

The Nation