Thailand is not a country that is friendly to public transportation, so if you have to stay here for a while, chances are that you’ll be driving yourself eventually. But then again, our gas price has spiked high like never before thanks to political turbulence around the world, especially from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And we can never really tell if it will ever come down…
It’s already bad enough that our monthly expense is almost as high as our salary, but now that the gas is more expensive than rice and to stop driving altogether isn’t a choice for many workers, Thai, and foreigners alike, we gotta learn how to make every single litre count.
This is why LifeSara is here with 8 driving tips to make your gas last as long as possible because the way you drive actually affects how much gas will you burn for the same distance!! And you never know that before, consider this fact as the ninth XD
But if you want to also keep a close eye on the gas price situation, you can follow the news from Thairath, Prachachat, infoquest, and CNBC! You can also read a further situation analysis by Thai Oil Group right here!
1
Don’t Stomp On Your Gas Pedal!
We know that being stuck in traffic and hot weather can make anyone get a bit hot-head, but the gas price you have to pay next time will certainly chill you to the bone. So keep that moment in mind and cool down your foot, please. The calmer you work the gas pedal, the further your gas can takes you.
The steeper the speed curve you try to climb, the more gas your engine will burn. But if you let your car speeds up slowly and steadily, the engine will ignite much less gas to get you up to the same speed you aimed for. So keep your head calm and your footwork smooth. Your purse will thank you.
2
Turn Off Your Engine When Idling
Whether you’re waiting for someone to get in the car, or you are stuck at a red light with more than 200 seconds to go (Yes it does exist, and yes it is as frustrating as it sounded), turn your engine off. If you’re lucky enough to have a hybrid or entirely electric car, you can skip this one. But if you are a fossil plebeian like us, then consider this; your engine runs on gas, but your air-con and ignition use electricity. Which one is more expensive?
3
Keep Your Tire Pressure At Its Recommendation
At least once a month, you should top up your tire pressure. The lighter your tire, the more gas your car will use. But while you might feel tempted to put in more pressure than recommended, remember that the more pressure your tire has, the more jolt and bump you’ll feel, and the more likely the tire will distort and wear out sooner. Balance is the best in this case.
4
Don’t Go Over The Road’s Speed Limit
The faster your car goes, the more gas is needed to maintain that speed. And if your speed dial goes over the halfway point on your panel, then you are going faster than the speed that car was designed to be the most efficient anyway, which equals more gas. So stick to the speed limit on the road, and not only will you save your gas, but the speed ticket will not find its way to your house, too!
5
Turn Down Your Air-Con When It’s Cold Enough
The harder your AC has to fight the ambient temperature, the more gas has to be burned to feed electricity into it. We understand that Thailand is only slightly colder than hell, but you don’t have to turn your car into a freezer either! Turn your AC up just enough to cool down the car to a bearable temperature, not the coldest possible number all the way home!
6
Route Your Way Around Heavy Traffic
Do you know what else burns the gas much more than driving too fast? Too much acceleration! If you are stuck in traffic, you’ll have to step on your gas pedal, move to brake, back to gas again, and so on. That go and stop over and over again is going to burn through your gas faster than just staying at a particular speed most of the time. So take a look at your GPS apps before going out, and you can save both your time and your money (and probably your patience as well).
7
Take Out Unnecessary Stuff Off Your Car
The heavier the load, the more gas your car needed to move. Your second pair of work shoes might not contribute that much to your load overall, but all those water bottles you got from the gas station certainly do! Did you leave a mountain of papers in your backseat? Or maybe too much other stuff you don’t need anymore but forgot to take out? It’s time to clean out your car or your unnecessary weight will eat away your saving!
8
WFH Whenever You Can😅
The covid situation has already made us all work from home for years now, and despite all issues that arise from the drastic shift in working dynamic, no one can really argue that no more wasting hours on the road and money to feed the gas is unwelcoming!
Of course, such policy is inapplicable to all the hands-on jobs like logistics or the medical field. But the rise of online jobs means that many people suddenly find themselves unshackled from the office desk and now can stay cozy at home, or go anywhere and anytime, so long as they can meet the deadline at the end of the day.
After all, that might be the reason many foreigners found themselves in Thailand as well👍🏻The age of digital nomads has arrived, and if you’re fortunate enough to be one of them, congratulations! You have the freedom to choose whether you’ll travel or not, where will you stay, when will you go. So if the gas is expensive, you can find somewhere nice in Thailand to hole up for a while! Maybe a seaside house, perhaps?
Thank you Post Today for the information.
