Tot Bribe Request

[jimbbc]

I'm having difficuties getting a telephone line and DSL installed. The maintence supervisor, female, keeps giving me false information saying they are working on it but naturally no one is even near my place.

Yesterday she told me she could delay or stop any installation and if I paid a bribe she could make it work the same day, naturally she was not direct when she said this, but I'm sure this is the case.

What are my options?

I would rather do without a telephone than pay a bribe to some criminal.

I love Thailand but this kind of behaviour sure puts a sour taste in my mouth.

[Tony Clifton]

I'm having difficuties getting a telephone line and DSL installed. The maintence supervisor, female, keeps giving me false information saying they are working on it but naturally no one is even near my place.

Yesterday she told me she could delay or stop any installation and if I paid a bribe she could make it work the same day, naturally she was not direct when she said this, but I'm sure this is the case.

What are my options?

I would rather do without a telephone than pay a bribe to some criminal.

I love Thailand but this kind of behaviour sure puts a sour taste in my mouth.

Write her a personal cheque for the bribe, stop the cheque, file a complaint.

[Crossy]

Write her a personal cheque for the bribe, stop the cheque, file a complaint.

How many people have Thai personal accounts with a cheque book? Not even sure if they exist for a foreigner.

I suspect this will end up as 'pay the bribe if you want the line' (how much is being requested?).

[h90]

I'm having difficuties getting a telephone line and DSL installed. The maintence supervisor, female, keeps giving me false information saying they are working on it but naturally no one is even near my place.

Yesterday she told me she could delay or stop any installation and if I paid a bribe she could make it work the same day, naturally she was not direct when she said this, but I'm sure this is the case.

What are my options?

I would rather do without a telephone than pay a bribe to some criminal.

I love Thailand but this kind of behaviour sure puts a sour taste in my mouth.

Normal: when we got the 3 phase electric for our company, they told us they must check the installation first and it is very very sensitiv so we should let his privat company make it than he can approve it easily. No question that his company costs 3x than any other.

When I got my accepting creditcard contract from BOA. It need ages till we gave them 6.000 Baht.

I hate it, but if you really need something you have no other choice than adding some grease......

[Farma]

We’ve had a number of phones connected and transferred to different locations in a city and were never asked for a bribe.

The only time we’ve been asked for money was in a small town where the exchange was full with no available lines and a long queue of waiting subscribers.

This money would be paid to the owner of a phone line direct as they no longer required and the line would be transferred to us if we agreed to pay. We declined the offer.

Jimbbc I would suggest you take a Thai friend, hopefully with some influence, with you to the TOT office and see if that helps.

[PeaceBlondie]

I would have paid the 'special fee' promptly, with the promise that those 'engineers' were getting into the truck and heading to my house as I laid the money down on the counter. A tip, to provide prompt service. The regular fees don't cover real service; all you get are the flagellations of amoebas and paramecia.

[h90]

I would have paid the 'special fee' promptly, with the promise that those 'engineers' were getting into the truck and heading to my house as I laid the money down on the counter. A tip, to provide prompt service. The regular fees don't cover real service; all you get are the flagellations of amoebas and paramecia.

My wife told in the BOA case that as soon as she gave the money she is in the position to call his manager and ask why it is still slow even she paid that speed up-fee. As his manager does not know about that he would be in serious troubles (may have to share it). As he also knows that he will try his best....

not my explanation but sounds possible

[PattayaDavid]

I'm having difficuties getting a telephone line and DSL installed. The maintence supervisor, female, keeps giving me false information saying they are working on it but naturally no one is even near my place.

Yesterday she told me she could delay or stop any installation and if I paid a bribe she could make it work the same day, naturally she was not direct when she said this, but I'm sure this is the case.

What are my options?

I would rather do without a telephone than pay a bribe to some criminal.

I love Thailand but this kind of behaviour sure puts a sour taste in my mouth.

If you prefer not to pay the bribe, you could go to the TT&T office for your subscription if it is available in your area.  Both TOT and TT&T provide service to where I live.  I'm presently using TOT, but their service deteriorates, I won't hesitate to switch.

Pattaya Dave

[penguin]

Reminds me of the time l wanted a new line and was told all lines were taken (they really were). I suggested paying an additional "service" fee if it would speed things up and was a bit surprised when l was told no amount of money could speed things up, so not everything can be fixed by a bribe, even in Thailand. If l really needed a line quickly l think l would have tried what Peace Blondie suggested.

Jim, everyone wants to know one thing...HOW MUCH?

[ProThaiExpat]

Having been through all of this, I have concluded that when the exchange is full, the only way to get a line is to "buy one" either from a subscriber that doesn't need it any more or wants the money or "buy one" turned in by a prior subscriber and kept secretly by a TOT staff member for sale to you.

I waited two years and put my name on the list more than once. Once they became available, I got two lines at no additional cost.

My developer, it would appear, subscribed to all of the lines available for our development and then offered them for sale at 15k Baht. I didn't go for it as a matter of principle and relied on cell phones and GPRS for the first two years.

[Shah Jahan]

the 'bribe' will actually be used to pay off somebodies else's unpaid telephone bill and then you get their line. If you dont do it this way, you need to get in the queue and just forget about it.

On a side note, if you ask nicely TOT will install a DSL line in your house even if their are no phone lines available.

This is what happened where I lived, I asked for a phone line and they told me it may take many months. I then asked for DSL and they installed the lines and cables to my house for about 4000 baht and I had DSl up and running within a week

[jimbbc]

Latest update: I went to the condo manager and asked his advice. I'm sure he runs the phone mafia as well as the motorcy taxi mafia on site. He sent a man, likely the phone mafia and my phone was installed the same day. The problem now is my DSL only works sometimes. This may be in internal condo wiring problem, don't know yet so will re-do all connections. Thanks for the help.