Confusing situation paying water bill

[bluesofa]

To pay our water bill I usually go to the local PWA office with the bill and pay there.

 

On one occasion in the past I went to pay a few hours after the water bill had arrived in the mailbox.

I was told that I would have to come back “a couple of days later”, as the bill was not yet on their system and they couldn’t access it to accept payment.

By chance I went into a 7 Eleven half-an-hour later and paid it there without it being queried at all.

 

IIRC, I think the meter reader is the person who prints out the bill when he reads the meter?

How can it need the PWA to wait for these details to be uploaded, when it’s their own system and they have all the customer’s account history and details already (apart from the very latest bill)?

7 Eleven, despite not having all these details reads the barcode (including in there must be the account details) and accepts the balance outstanding by default. Obviously too difficult for the PWA to do the same.

 

[blackcab]

Because one is a government agency that has no interest in customer service or efficiency and the other is an extremely switched on company that is ruthlessly efficient.

[nasa123]

Us 7/11 or Familie mart or Lotus. A pay about 1 hour after a get the Elect, Internett or water bill never problem in 7/11 fore 9 year.

Edited October 14, 2017 by nasa123

[longball53098]

I would say it may depend on how the hand held devices upload their data to the host system. If the device is online all the time then it would dump its data in almost real time to the mother computer so that account that was just read would be in the system almost immediately if they take some time like 30 minutes or more than a host system would not update as fast.

 

Just my thought and opine on this one

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, longball53098 said:

I would say it may depend on how the hand held devices upload their data to the host system. If the device is online all the time then it would dump its data in almost real time to the mother computer so that account that was just read would be in the system almost immediately if they take some time like 30 minutes or more than a host system would not update as fast.

 

Just my thought and opine on this one

Yes, I agree that would be a good idea to get the data uploaded instantly.

However, what we don't know is if the meter reader unit is even online with 3G/4G.

I think the original system required them to upload manually at the end of the day. Whether there's a more updated system I wouldn't know.

 

As the OP, my point about convenience stores accepting payment as soon as the bill has been issued still stands.

As blackcab said:

"Because one is a government agency that has no interest in customer service or efficiency and the other is an extremely switched on company that is ruthlessly efficient. "

 

[blackcab]

What it boils down to is 7-Eleven will take the money now and wait for the details to resolve themselves later. They don't mind holding on to your money. Besides, if there is an issue you have to sort it with the water company, not them.

 

The government hasn't quite got the idea of get whatever money you can now, then sort things out later. If there is something to sort out it's better to be the one holding the money, surely?

 

The company I work for had a similar problem. We purchased a commercial building which had building tax paid on it. We purchased it late in the year, so most of that year's building tax was the seller's responsibility.

 

We went to the district office to pay our portion, and we were flat out refused. We could either wait until the previous owner paid their portion first, or pay the whole sum and sort it out with the previous owner ourselves. We could not give them our portion. Obviously we kept our money for several months until the office contacted us and requested us to pay.

[chrissables]

Off topic a tad, but i went to pay my water bill yesterday at 7-11, there was no barcode! So now i have to travel up to the offices of the waterboard. Has anyone had this happen to them?

[Cyclone88]

Several months ago I tried to pay my electric bill at 7-11 a few hours after it was read. They scanned it and I was told to come back the following day as it wasn't in the system.

The same if you try and pay at 7-11 after the due by date. They won't accept it. You need go and pay directly at the electric company.

[JaiMaai]

@chrissables

 

Are you sure you paid the previous month's bill.

 

That's what happens when I forget.

 

Sent from my SM-P555 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[chrissables]

1 minute ago, JaiMaai said:

@chrissables

 

Are you sure you paid the previous month's bill.

 

That's what happens when I forget.

 

Sent from my SM-P555 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

I will check, but yes i always pay within a few days. 

[Kerryd]

I tried to set up my water bill to be automatically paid from my bank but they (the provincial water authority) didn't want to do it for some reason. The guy (in Bang Lamung) kept indicating I should come back some months down the road (or maybe when he wasn't working, not sure which).

In retrospect it probably is better to pay them manually though. They installed new meters on 1/2 inch plastic pipes that stick up 12-18" above the ground. Perfect height for kids and cars to accidentally break. (I've had two "breaks" and both times were from kids playing in the soi. I've set up a protective barrier of bricks and paving stones around the pipes and water meter and it wasn't long before the neighbour's kid was climbing on them trying to see into my patio, just like he used to do on the plastic pipes.)
I suspect it was the same kid that also broke the neighbour's water pipe and when I pointed out that their pipe was broken (as they didn't seem to notice the massive flow of water coming out of the patch of weedy vines in front of their house) they told me to go talk to the security guard to get it fixed !
I was away the first time there was a break but fortunately the neighbours were nice enough to get the water shut off fairly quickly so it didn't cost me a fortune. The second time I was here so it only ran for a few hours before I noticed the problem and shut it off. Not enough to noticeably affect my water bill.

The problem with paying manually is, of course, if you go away for extended periods of time. Can't "pre-pay" and if you don't have someone to pay the bills for you when you get home you'll end up spending 3(+) days trying to get it reconnected. Had the same problem with my electrical bill one time. Had to stay in a hotel for 3 days until the power company could get around to turning it back on, because my friend who was supposed to be paying the bill each month "forgot". 

(I could get by on the 1200 liters of stale water in the tank for a couple days if need be though.)

 

[Youbloodybeauty]

I don't live fulltime here (yet) but wondering about paying bills here.

Can you pay stuff like water, power, internet, car insurance, rego, home telephone etc online?

It seems crazy that my in-laws drive to place to pay bills and this week 1.5hr drive to pay the car rego. Surely some of these bills can be paid direct debit or online?

Edited October 15, 2017 by Youbloodybeauty

[murraynz]

i have only recently,set up a direct account with pea for my water...because i may travel reguarly, i set up an an a/p with  pea.  it is deducted from my account on the 11th of each month..--works for me.

[longball53098]

Been on direct debit with TOT, PWA and PEA in Pattaya and Banchang for over 10 years. Never skipped a beat or missed a payment. Get SMS from bank the day before the payment is pulled and another when completed. Added AIS phone services now in the last 3 months. Easy peasy No hassles and no issues,,,,,,,,,,,,so far

[bluesofa]

Just now, Youbloodybeauty said:

I don't live fulltime here (yet) but wondering about paying bills here.

Can you pay stuff like water, power, internet, car insurance, rego, home telephone etc online?

It seems crazy that my in-laws drive to place to pay bills and this week 1.5hr drive to pay the car rego. Surely some of these bills can be paid online ...or next best thing are most paid at 7-11?

A lot of bills I do pay online - AIS, DTAC, TOT.

 

However, for the PEA & PWA to be paid online, I need to get the person named on the bill to submit some details. As it's the father-in-law, paperwork isn't exactly the thing he's keen on. (Although he loves it when he can pop round and I can print off a copy if his ID card & house reg, having scanned them once before.)

 

Unless the system has changed in the past couple of years? Perhaps I should look into it again.

 

[pby92]

4 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Yes, I agree that would be a good idea to get the data uploaded instantly.

However, what we don't know is if the meter reader unit is even online with 3G/4G.

I think the original system required them to upload manually at the end of the day. Whether there's a more updated system I wouldn't know.

 

As the OP, my point about convenience stores accepting payment as soon as the bill has been issued still stands.

As blackcab said:

"Because one is a government agency that has no interest in customer service or efficiency and the other is an extremely switched on company that is ruthlessly efficient. "

 

My ex gf was checking meter as subcontractor for electric company in Nakhon Si Thammarat data are enter manually by subcontractor in computer of electric company with a picture of the meter in jpg file as proof of reality of number and work really done . So it’s depends of the efficiency of the subcontractor.

[bluesofa]

1 minute ago, pby92 said:

My ex gf was checking meter as subcontractor for electric company in Nakhon Si Thammarat data are enter manually by subcontractor in computer of electric company with a picture of the meter in jpg file as proof of reality of number and work really done . So it’s depends of the efficiency of the subcontractor.

That's interesting.

The details are saved as a jpg, presumably to stop errors, or even deliberate cheating.

 

I remember in an area of Pattaya about fifteen years ago, the electric bill would arrive. A few days later someone else from the electric company came round to collect payment. If you paid this woman, the cost was exactly 50% of what was on the bill. She worked in the accounts office, so just marked it as 'paid' and pocketed the cash. I only found out about it when other bars in the area complained they had to now pay their bill in full.

It went on for years until an audit flushed her scam out into the open. Must have been a few million Baht's worth.

 

[thailand49]

This is my observation, since I keep tight track of the water and electric.  I've seen the guy do it first hand here in the Darkside.

He pulls up in his bike, take a device that looks just like a phone takes a photo of the meter numbers but he doesn't give me the slip right away. He takes off and continues to read other homes then he comes back much later to place the slip into my mailbox.

I pay at 7/11,  right away that is the way I do things since I've already set aside the money because as noted I keep tabs on the meter myself.  Within a hour I'm paying never had a problem at 7/11 and here is why?  7/11 does lots of transaction by the time they reconciled all their transaction the Water Department would have their records updated.

Years ago since I was going pass the department I decided to pay, as noted they told me to come back since not in system, I walked out cross the busy Soi and paid it at the 7/11.

I think the meter reader has to download his device end of the day?

[thailand49]

This is my observation, since I keep tight track of the water and electric.  I've seen the guy do it first hand here in the Darkside.

He pulls up in his bike, take a device that looks just like a phone takes a photo of the meter numbers but he doesn't give me the slip right away. He takes off and continues to read other homes then he comes back much later to place the slip into my mailbox.

I pay at 7/11,  right away that is the way I do things since I've already set aside the money because as noted I keep tabs on the meter myself.  Within a hour I'm paying never had a problem at 7/11 and here is why?  7/11 does lots of transaction by the time they reconciled all their transaction the Water Department would have their records updated.

Years ago since I was going pass the department I decided to pay, as noted they told me to come back since not in system, I walked out cross the busy Soi and paid it at the 7/11.

I think the meter reader has to download his device end of the day?

[HHTel]

I used to have a problem as I have to make a special trip to pay my water hence it often went 4 or 5 months before I got around to paying.  The last time I was there, I asked whether I can give them a lump of cash for future bills.  "Of course you can".  I gave them 1500 and I haven't had a bill for over a year.  I assume the next time I get a bill would indicate the money has run out.

[I wonder]

Kasikornbank has an option to pay utilities including PWA and a lot of other services on line using their banking app with no fees no doubt the other banks do also.

Saves time and money going to the offices and the service fee at 7-11

[bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, I wonder said:

Kasikornbank has an option to pay utilities including PWA and a lot of other services on line using their banking app with no fees no doubt the other banks do also.

Saves time and money going to the offices and the service fee at 7-11

That's good.

I'm assuming using the Kasikornbank option you don't need Customer ref 1 and Customer ref 2, as you do with most utility bills? Those refs are not on the PEA or PWA bills.

 

[bluesofa]

41 minutes ago, I wonder said:

Kasikornbank has an option to pay utilities including PWA and a lot of other services on line using their banking app with no fees no doubt the other banks do also.

Saves time and money going to the offices and the service fee at 7-11

I have various online bank accounts and have just had a look at my Kasikornbank account.

 

I can't see anything for the PEA or PWA. Under the list for Public Utilities it only has MEA, unless, I'm looking in the wrong place?

See the two screenshots:

 

[quandow]

I tried several times to pay my water bill at 7/11 the day of receiving, each time they said come back tomorrow.

[Estrada]

Why go to the PWA office? If I went to the PWA office to pay my B140 water bill, it would cost me around B200 in fuel of traveling expenses plus my time. I pay at 7-11, often within 30 minutes of getting the bill from the meter reader's print out. Sometimes one 7-11 does not update their system in real time and they tell me to come back later. So I tell them to update their system and then they find that they can scan the bar code and find that I can make the payment. If not, I walk to the next 7-11 near by and pay there.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Estrada

[I wonder]

1 hour ago, bluesofa said:

I have various online bank accounts and have just had a look at my Kasikornbank account.

 

I can't see anything for the PEA or PWA. Under the list for Public Utilities it only has MEA, unless, I'm looking in the wrong place?

See the two screenshots:

 

Are you using the mobile app?

when the PWA link is opened it opens the bar code scanner and deducts the money from your account

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by I wonder
Additional text included

[bluesofa]

1 hour ago, I wonder said:

Are you using the mobile app?

when the PWA link is opened it opens the bar code scanner and deducts the money from your account

 

Ah right, I understand now.

I only use the online banking account for a desktop.

 

I haven't got as far as using a mobile app. I do worry if I lose my phone or a wi-fi connection I may be using is hacked, it could give someone access to my data and bank details. Bit untrusting I know, but I may come round to the idea at some point.

 

Thanks for posting all the details regarding it.

[renevanb7]

Once I paid at the 7 Eleven and they could not read the barcode, so they typed it in manually. They handed me the receipt that I did the payment. Only they typed in the wrong number, so I paid the 7 Eleven but not the water company. Later they came to cut of my water, of cause when I was not at home but on the other side of the country. I kept the receipt so I could show them later I paid in time but the 7 Eleven made a mistake.  So I don't think the 7 Eleven is connected real time to the water company. Now I pay automatic by bank, also the electric.

[Lancelot01]

8 hours ago, chrissables said:

Off topic a tad, but i went to pay my water bill yesterday at 7-11, there was no barcode! So now i have to travel up to the offices of the waterboard. Has anyone had this happen to them?

Yes this happened once to me, the barcode was illegible.

The cashier manually input the numerical details and the bill was accepted and paid.

[Youbloodybeauty]

Is there a water "service charge" or is the bill for water usage only?