Consequence of one missed PEA payment?

[wpcoe]

I have a condo in Jomtien that I left in early 2020 and haven't been back since.  I had planned to return at least once a year, but well, Covid.  Before I left I loaded up my Bangkok Bank account with funds and had PEA set up automatic payments from it.  Each month the PEA deduction was just under THB50.

 

A couple weeks ago I got an e-mail from AIS (who I also set up for automatic payments from BBL) that I was overdue a couple months, so I checked my BBL account balance online.  Yikes, I had let the BBL balance run out!

 

I immediately transferred (Wise/Transferwise) a deposit to BBL, and I see that on 11-Oct PEA withdrew THB47.87.  That's a relief, but they never took a payment for September.  I expected the October bill to be the current THB47.87 plus the overdue September balance (plus possibly a penalty.)

 

Will PEA at some point cut off the power to my condo for non-payment of the Sept bill?

 

(I would like to make bank transfers from with my BBL or SCB bank accounts to PEA and AIS for past due balances, but the banks require SMS confirmations and I can't get the AIS SIM to establish a connection where I am in Mexico.  I used to be able to, but now I can't.  It may be due to the fact that I'm overdue on the AIS account, but regardless the reason I can't do any bill-paying from here...)

[rwill]

I think you will be ok for 1 missed month.

 

I have had neighbors get their meters removed but judging by the bills stacked in their box it took at least 3 months.  But this is in Ratchaburi.

[jacko45k]

I have seem PEA let it slip for a month, but the PWA will have the meter as quick as anything. There is a web site for PEA you can check your account on... but you need some number off the bill, or scan the QR code.

Edited October 14, 2022 by jacko45k

[BritManToo]

8 hours ago, wpcoe said:

(I would like to make bank transfers from with my BBL or SCB bank accounts to PEA and AIS for past due balances, but the banks require SMS confirmations and I can't get the AIS SIM to establish a connection where I am in Mexico.  I used to be able to, but now I can't.  It may be due to the fact that I'm overdue on the AIS account, but regardless the reason I can't do any bill-paying from here...)

If you select 'pay bill' in your phone banking app, then search for PEA, you can enter your PEA account number and view your outstanding PEA balance and pay it in the app. Works for my TMB/TTB bank account app anyway.

[NE1]

I thought there was a clampdown.

We lost power to our house , thought it was one of the Two a month power cuts we get when there is a gust of wind.

Sat waiting for an hour , Mrs rung PEA up , we had been disconnected , 3 weeks overdue .

 

[scubascuba3]

50 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

If you select 'pay bill' in your phone banking app, then search for PEA, you can enter your PEA account number and view your outstanding PEA balance and pay it in the app. Works for my TMB/TTB bank account app anyway.

Works for Kasikorn also but I don't think his Bangkok Bank app will show PEA

[jacko45k]

2 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Works for Kasikorn also but I don't think his Bangkok Bank app will show PEA

Correct... I had to go to Krungthai...who make it very easy indeed, as one simply scans the bill's QR code and select pay!. 

[andygrr]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

I have seen PEA let it slip for a month, but the PWA will have the meter as quick as anything. There is a web site for PEA you can check your account on... but you need some number off the bill, or scan the QR code.

in my experience PWA OK for a month but when they send the following months bill there is no bar code attached so you have to go to the water Authority office to pay. The PEA are not so forgiving. They can cut you off any time after 7 days overdue, 

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, rwill said:

I think you will be ok for 1 missed month.

 

I have had neighbors get their meters removed but judging by the bills stacked in their box it took at least 3 months.  But this is in Ratchaburi.

Here in the Banglamung district, I forgot to pay on two separate occasions and was cut off after exactly one week both times. It's a house though, not a condo.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, andygrr said:

in my experience PWA OK for a month but when they send the following months bill there is no bar code attached so you have to go to the water Authority office to pay. The PEA are not so forgiving. They can cut you off any time after 7 days overdue, 

My neighbour had the opposite experience.... suffice to say they have no qualms cutting you off if delinquent!

[PoorSucker]

Download the PEA smart plus app. 

You can check your balance and pay. 

[Moonlover]

We missed one month awhile back. I thought she'd paid it 7/11 and she thought I'd paid it on line. But there was no problem, I just paid 2 months together as soon as I got the bill and that was the end of the matter.

 

Except that I always check now!

[Kalasin Jo]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I have seem PEA let it slip for a month, but the PWA will have the meter as quick as anything. There is a web site for PEA you can check your account on... but you need some number off the bill, or scan the QR code.

And they want to send you an OTP to log in each time. Sent to the number you have linked to the account, which must be a Thai number. You can't log in without that OTP. Apart from this I find the app simple and very useful. There is a payment link in it which takes you to your chosen bank. But again at least with my bank they too require an OTP, which again must be a Thai number, to complete payment.

 

I haven't discovered how to set up automatic direct debits here. Anyone know how?

[PPGuy]

4 hours ago, andygrr said:

in my experience PWA OK for a month but when they send the following months bill there is no bar code attached so you have to go to the water Authority office to pay. The PEA are not so forgiving. They can cut you off any time after 7 days overdue, 

Am located in East Pattaya and tend to delay paying PEA beyond their initial 'pay by' date. This is usually the 2nd of the month. If I delay by a few days I receive a chaser bill (dated 8th) that gives me to the 13th to make a payment. Not tried to delay any further than that to see what might happen next and when.............

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, Kalasin Jo said:

And they want to send you an OTP to log in each time. Sent to the number you have linked to the account, which must be a Thai number. You can't log in without that OTP. Apart from this I find the app simple and very useful. There is a payment link in it which takes you to your chosen bank. But again at least with my bank they too require an OTP, which again must be a Thai number, to complete payment.

 

I haven't discovered how to set up automatic direct debits here. Anyone know how?

That was not my experience... there was not even a log in requirement. I do not have the PEA app... in fact I have always avoided direct debit as I do not like them. I scan the bill from within my Thai  bank app and hit pay.

In the past I would turn on my phone with the Thai SIM in it in the UK and it would go to roaming on a network there.. and I could get SMS messages and I thought OTPs too... some years ago now. 

[treetops]

1 hour ago, Kalasin Jo said:

I haven't discovered how to set up automatic direct debits here. Anyone know how?

You need a form from the PEA office to take to the bank.  They fill it in with all the details and you take it back to the PEA office to be processed.  Depending on where you are in the billing cycle it'll take effect from the next or next plus one bill.

[DezLez]

5 hours ago, Kalasin Jo said:

I haven't discovered how to set up automatic direct debits here.

The very last thing I would do in Thailand is set up a Direct Debit if you are a nonThai.

 

In fact, I never set up Direct debits anywhere, I use standing orders and monitor/amend as required!

That way I have control, not the company!

[wpcoe]

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

If you select 'pay bill' in your phone banking app, then search for PEA, you can enter your PEA account number and view your outstanding PEA balance and pay it in the app. Works for my TMB/TTB bank account app anyway.

So, if only I had memorized my PEA account number, I could be golden.  Of course, I haven't tried this with PEA in my current situation, but in the past when I bill-payed or transferred money, my banks (SCB & BBL) used OTPs via SMS. 

 

Since I bought a new mobile phone after I left Thailand, I didn't have the SCB or BBL apps installed.  SCB Easy requires a mobile connection to a Thai number to register.  For the BBL app, after going through the registration process it also sends an OTP via SMS to finalize set-up.

 

10 hours ago, PoorSucker said:

Download the PEA smart plus app. 

You can check your balance and pay. 

Have to use a Thai phone number, and then they send an OTP via SMS.  

 

8 hours ago, treetops said:

You need a form from the PEA office to take to the bank.  They fill it in with all the details and you take it back to the PEA office to be processed.  Depending on where you are in the billing cycle it'll take effect from the next or next plus one bill.

That sounds like what I did to set up my auto-payment for PEA with BBL.

[jacko45k]

13 hours ago, DezLez said:

The very last thing I would do in Thailand is set up a Direct Debit if you are a nonThai.

 

In fact, I never set up Direct debits anywhere, I use standing orders and monitor/amend as required!

That way I have control, not the company!

I see your point and agree, but a Standing Order doesn't really work well for something that varies (varies upward, of late) each month. I once heard a comment a direct debit was difficult to cancel too. With all the options of how to pay nowadays seems unnecessary, a trip to a 7-11, scan a code, online etc etc. 

Edited October 15, 2022 by jacko45k

[BKKTRAVELER]

OP, do you have an old electric bill with you? Or maybe just a photo of one bill in your phone? If so, you can send it to anyone you know in Thailand (friend, gf...) and they can go scan the barcode from the photo at 7/11 to pay for you. 

 

Heck, if it's really 50 baht I'm even willing to do it for you ????

 

If not, call the juristic office of your building and ask if they can check for you if you have unpaid bills (they should manage to find out). I'm sure a solution will be worked out then.

 

Also, the PEA company will not cut your electric meter for 1 month. They do it at 3 months currently and never did it below 2 months.

 

 

[wpcoe]

I know you have all been at the edge of your seats wondering what happened with me & my missed PEA payment.  Well, wait no more:

[wpcoe]

(oops, accidentally posted that too soon)

[wpcoe]

Damn, AseaNow, give a guy a break with these premature postings!

 

I found a scan of a PEA bill from back in 2017 that had the account numbers that I needed for the PEA online app.

 

Then, miracles of all miracles, I was able to get my AIS SIM to connect to AT&T here in Mexico so I can receive SMSs on my Thai mobile phone number.

 

Logged on to the PEA app and found that there was an unpaid bill:

 

61.85 for August 2022

107.00 for meter reconnect fee

168.85 due

 

I was able to make the $168.85 payment online and the money is already gone from my BBL account.

 

I show monthly PEA payments deducted from my BBL account in every month except Sept 2002, including one on Oct 11 for a typical amount (47.87).

 

- Is the "meter reconnect fee" charged even if they never really physically disconnected the meter?

 

- If not, and they *did* disconnect my meter, why was there a nominal usage charge for the next month?

[scubascuba3]

6 hours ago, wpcoe said:

Damn, AseaNow, give a guy a break with these premature postings!

 

I found a scan of a PEA bill from back in 2017 that had the account numbers that I needed for the PEA online app.

 

Then, miracles of all miracles, I was able to get my AIS SIM to connect to AT&T here in Mexico so I can receive SMSs on my Thai mobile phone number.

 

Logged on to the PEA app and found that there was an unpaid bill:

 

61.85 for August 2022

107.00 for meter reconnect fee

168.85 due

 

I was able to make the $168.85 payment online and the money is already gone from my BBL account.

 

I show monthly PEA payments deducted from my BBL account in every month except Sept 2002, including one on Oct 11 for a typical amount (47.87).

 

- Is the "meter reconnect fee" charged even if they never really physically disconnected the meter?

 

- If not, and they *did* disconnect my meter, why was there a nominal usage charge for the next month?

fyi $ isn't baht

[wpcoe]

15 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

fyi $ isn't baht

Yeah, bad habit I acquired here in Mexico.  They use the same $ symbol for the peso as is used for the US dollar.