Manufacturers calculate the interval for a temperate climate and highway driving. Phuket is different: year-round heat, humidity, ten-minute trips and traffic jams where the engine runs while the odometer stands still.

Why the interval is shorter

  • Oil oxidises faster in the heat and loses viscosity.
  • Short trips never warm the engine fully: condensation and fuel build up in the oil.
  • In traffic the engine hours go up while the kilometres do not. Oil cares about hours.

Our recommendation

For most cars in Phuket: every 7,000 to 8,000 km or every six months, whichever comes first. For turbo engines and cars that sit in traffic all day, closer to 5,000 to 6,000 km.

How to tell it is time

  • Oil on the dipstick is black and thin like water.
  • Lifter tick appears on a cold start.
  • Six months have passed, even with low mileage.

Come in for a service and we will check not just the oil but everything visible on the lift. That is part of the service.