MEA Deposit Refund??.

[moontang]

Thought we could compare notes and help each other with this.  I just did it with the MEA App...unlike the rest of the App, it is all Thai.  My Thai is nitnoi, but I translated what I could..got a receipt at the end..so we'll see.  Has anyone got the refund of deposit yet?

looks like you need 13 digit yellow book number, 9 digit meter number, then it shows you your accounts..check the box of the account you want refunded..

 

Enter phone number starting with zero, and email.  Then select a bank from the list and enter account number..there are two buttons at the bottom..the one on the left is submit and will give you a receipt.  

 

I will post when I get the money, any questions, fire away...

[moontang]

[mark5335]

Hi Moontang, I was wondering whether you've received your refund yet, as I heard that refunds directly credited into a bank account would generally take 5 business days after registration.

[YT3k72Em]

I got the same looking page as you from doing it via website, but when TGF did it, she got one with **2,000 THB** across the middle of the page in big letters. I suspect there is a problem with foreigners passport number and bank account numbers not being the same as Thai ID card numbers. Also bank account name must match MEA account name to get the deposit, which could be a problem where bank account name is in English and MEA name is in Thai.

[mark5335]

When I registered for the refund I entered my 13 digit Pink Card ID number, although when I opened my account with MEA 12 years ago it was done with my old passport number. However, it seemed to work okay and showed an amount on screen of 12,000 baht as my refundable MEA deposit. 

 

I registered 5 days ago and still waiting on the refund to be credited into my BBL account. Incidentally my name in the MEA is written in English with surname first whereas my name on my BBL account is in English with surname last, which hopefully qualifies under their system as a proper match.

[moontang]

19 hours ago, mark5335 said:

Hi Moontang, I was wondering whether you've received your refund yet, as I heard that refunds directly credited into a bank account would generally take 5 business days after registration.

Just checked..not yet.

[moontang]

2 hours ago, YT3k72Em said:

I got the same looking page as you from doing it via website, but when TGF did it, she got one with **2,000 THB** across the middle of the page in big letters. I suspect there is a problem with foreigners passport number and bank account numbers not being the same as Thai ID card numbers. Also bank account name must match MEA account name to get the deposit, which could be a problem where bank account name is in English and MEA name is in Thai.

I think the screen from the website had a slightly different look than the Android app.  There was another thread about this.  They said BBL wasn't one of the choices, but it was, in the app.  

[Metropolitian]

I did it trough the website.

Got all the way trough till the end with the V mark in circle.

Checked my bank but nothing and after going to the MEA website again and I know now I will not get it.

They added a text in bold and red color that the name of the meter and bank account need to be the same, and it isn't with me.

Remark: I am sure that text was not there when I applied for the refund (25th of march), suppose that they added it afterwards.

????

 

 

[moontang]

Update:. I rattled their cage at MEA, today.  They told me my BBL refund would be in May.  Thanks for the email confirmation..not, thanks for the email update..not, thanks for processing my request in a timely manner..not....

[mark5335]

On 4/10/2020 at 5:14 PM, moontang said:

Update:. I rattled their cage at MEA, today.  They told me my BBL refund would be in May.  Thanks for the email confirmation..not, thanks for the email update..not, thanks for processing my request in a timely manner..not....

Did you manage to speak to MEA on the phone, or face to face at their office?

 

I received an SMS from MEA this morning asking me to re-register & ensure that my MEA account name matches that with my bank account. My MEA account name (in English) is in passport format, i.e., Surname, First Name, Middle Name; whereas my bank account name is the standard format of First Name, Middle Name, Surname. So I have a conundrum in trying the prove to MEA that it's the same person.

 

Unfortunately, it seems my 12K refund is destined for the too hard pile.

[moontang]

I went into their office.

[moontang]

On 1/25/2020 at 7:55 AM, Langsuan Man said:

 

 

On 4/17/2020 at 10:17 AM, mark5335 said:

Did you manage to speak to MEA on the phone, or face to face at their office?

 

I received an SMS from MEA this morning asking me to re-register & ensure that my MEA account name matches that with my bank account. My MEA account name (in English) is in passport format, i.e., Surname, First Name, Middle Name; whereas my bank account name is the standard format of First Name, Middle Name, Surname. So I have a conundrum in trying the prove to MEA that it's the same person.

 

Unfortunately, it seems my 12K refund is destined for the too hard pile.

I got the same sms...that figures.  I think the only hope is to go to a main new office, if not HQ and try to get it straightened out..how about that office near Sukhumvit soi 1, or is there a good office to go to for farang.  Just about zero English spoken in Nonthaburi Office, and that made it easier for them to brush me off, but by now they know damn well about the name match problem.

[mark5335]

41 minutes ago, moontang said:

 

I got the same sms...that figures.  I think the only hope is to go to a main new office, if not HQ and try to get it straightened out..how about that office near Sukhumvit soi 1, or is there a good office to go to for farang.  Just about zero English spoken in Nonthaburi Office, and that made it easier for them to brush me off, but by now they know damn well about the name match problem.

I plan to go to MEA Chidlom office this week to try and sort it out. I'll take my Thai wife, original passport from 12 years ago when my MEA account was set up, my latest passport, my Non-Thai Pink ID Card (13 digit), screenshot of the online refund registration, and my BBL bankbook in order to try & prove to them that I'm the same person.

[moontang]

24 minutes ago, mark5335 said:

I plan to go to MEA Chidlom office this week to try and sort it out. I'll take my Thai wife, original passport from 12 years ago when my MEA account was set up, my latest passport, my Non-Thai Pink ID Card (13 digit), screenshot of the online refund registration, and my BBL bankbook in order to try & prove to them that I'm the same person.

MEA/PEA have done me right over the years, especially compared to Immigration, but they are the ones dropping the ball on this.  Transactions between banks are almost seemless nowadays.

 

Counter Service at 711, was a choice, but any clues what is needed for that?

[RBOP]

Registration using the App worked for me and got a successful registration sms. A week later got an sms application was rejected because of name mismatch.   I went into the MEA office and they told me foreigners can not register until May 6th. So May 7th went back to MEA office and they entered me into the system. They printed out a successful registration sheet and told me wait 20 days for the refund to show up in my account.    

[RBOP]

On 5/22/2020 at 9:49 AM, RBOP said:

Registration using the App worked for me and got a successful registration sms. A week later got an sms application was rejected because of name mismatch.   I went into the MEA office and they told me foreigners can not register until May 6th. So May 7th went back to MEA office and they entered me into the system. They printed out a successful registration sheet and told me wait 20 days for the refund to show up in my account.    

Just an update. Still waiting for refund (22 days now).  I called MEA and finally got through to be passed around to 3 different people. They said its still process and to call my local branch for an update. Local branch doesn't answer phone. Guess I'll have to make an in person visit. 

[moontang]

2 hours ago, RBOP said:

Just an update. Still waiting for refund (22 days now).  I called MEA and finally got through to be passed around to 3 different people. They said its still process and to call my local branch for an update. Local branch doesn't answer phone. Guess I'll have to make an in person visit. 

I went to the main office at Chit Lom, 25 days ago...she did it for me, and acknowledged the problems caused by the mismatches, but assured me it would work.  Over the years, have had good service from PEA and MEA..but they have a culture of government incompetence, and are about forty years behind in IT.  Punchcards anyone?

[moontang]

Got my refund, yesterday..received a text from BBL.  The key was going to Chit-Lom..

[YT3k72Em]

hmm... I tried Chitlom, they told me to go to my local office.

[moontang]

10 minutes ago, YT3k72Em said:

hmm... I tried Chitlom, they told me to go to my local office.

I live in Nonthaburi..my local office was completely worthless..a month later, I went to Chit-Lom...people at the regular windows were having trouble..I told them I needed to speak with English speaking rep..smooth sailing.  Bring bank book with you...

[soi3eddie]

My MEA refund was rejected for name mismatch even though Elctricity account name and Bank name are same (may not be exact same on their system due to me having four names) certainly first and last names match. I intend to get the original paperwork (at my home in London0 from when I opened the MEA account and do to their office with my current and former passports, bank book, Electricty bills etc. It's a hassle for 4,000 Baht but I'll have time to do it next trip here. 

[moontang]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

My MEA refund was rejected for name mismatch even though Elctricity account name and Bank name are same (may not be exact same on their system due to me having four names) certainly first and last names match. I intend to get the original paperwork (at my home in London0 from when I opened the MEA account and do to their office with my current and former passports, bank book, Electricty bills etc. It's a hassle for 4,000 Baht but I'll have time to do it next trip here. 

She was well aware of the problem with the name mismatch, and overrode that..took about ten minutes.  I had opened it myself with an old yellowbook.  Had done autodebit with PEA, and it was never a problem.  They are the champs at shooting themselves in the feet, and offer continual proof.  

[soi3eddie]

22 minutes ago, moontang said:

She was well aware of the problem with the name mismatch, and overrode that..took about ten minutes.  I had opened it myself with an old yellowbook.  Had done autodebit with PEA, and it was never a problem.  They are the champs at shooting themselves in the feet, and offer continual proof.  

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'll just go down to the office with my passports, bills and bankbooks (I'll not have the original receipt for the deposit). Worth a try.

[moontang]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

Thanks for the reply. Maybe I'll just go down to the office with my passports, bills and bankbooks (I'll not have the original receipt for the deposit). Worth a try.

I have kept my receipt with the chinote to avoid a potential police report, but it was not even mentioned.  Many customers are not the ones, who opened the account, and it has been decades in some cases, partly because it can be a royal pain (immigration style) to start service to begin with.  Good luck, Chit-Lom closes at 1500, so get there by 1430 and you will get better service with a (fake) smile.  Now, I will have to find another reason to visit Lower Sukhumvit.