Koh Samui: Cabinet approves 11.2 billion baht undersea cable to improve electricity supply

[webfact]

Picture: INN

 

INN reported that government spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri said that cabinet approval had been given to the electricity authority to lay an undersea cable in the area of the holiday island of Koh Samui in the south of Thailand.

 

It is costing 11.23 billion baht and it is hoped it will improve electricity supply on Samui and the neighboring islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao.

 

It is part of improvements to Thailand's grid between 2018 and 2037.

 

It will take many years before it is ready, however, with a completion date slated for June 2029.

 

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[ronster]

I thought this had all been upgraded after the last storms that knocked the power out for a week in some places ?

Might not need it if they put a stop to all the insane ugly buildings going up everywhere !! 

[OneMoreFarang]

Who will pay for that? I hope the electricity users on those islands - and nobody else.

[khunPer]

11 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Who will pay for that? I hope the electricity users on those islands - and nobody else.

Probably, just like the users of the airport instead of taxpayers...

For many years the Samui paid for the mainland infrastructure in Surat Thani province, where the majority of voters are, while the tax-money came from Samui, so if the island finally gets something back, it might be fair...

[Stocky]

Can they not roll it into the Bht25 Billion bridge project; should save a bob or two and make it easier to maintain.

 

 

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

It will take many years before it is ready, however, with a completion date slated for June 2029

When I expect the cost to have risen substantially.

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Who will pay for that? I hope the electricity users on those islands - and nobody else.

I expect that my neighbours and I are paying for it.

Electricity where we are is currently 9 baht per Kw/hr and that is before the latest price increase that is due soon.

At least some of the taxes that I have been paying for the last 22 years are now being spent on Samui.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Tropicalevo

[PETERTHEEATER]

The cabinet approves 11 billion Baht in the hope that it will improve the electrical supply to Samui? Forget transparency in this project, it will be hidden on the sea bed.

[Mad mick]

1 hour ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

The cabinet approves 11 billion Baht in the hope that it will improve the electrical supply to Samui? Forget transparency in this project, it will be hidden on the sea bed.

Until some deep sea fishing dredge net pulls it up !,CCP ???????? Draining the entire planet of fish ???? +++ take everything they don't care go in at night turn all tracking systems  off + back to mother ships 

[MarleyMarl]

Probably more than putting solar on every house on the island?

[xtrnuno41]

So where you connect the cable to? Or is it just a parallel cable?

[khunPer]

15 hours ago, MarleyMarl said:

Probably more than putting solar on every house on the island?

Which works perfect in evening and night, when the island needs a lot of electricity...

[khunPer]

14 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

So where you connect the cable to? Or is it just a parallel cable?

There are already several underwater high-voltage power-supply cables to the islands, but the increase of tourism and welfare in general makes the demand for further electricity higher – I hardly dare to think of all the electric cars coming to be charged, when the bridge project is finished... – at the moment a couple of cables comes in at the southern part of the island in Taling Ngam-district, and the latest heavy duty cable, which also feed Koh Phangan, comes in at north in Maenam...????

 

Not so many years ago – shortly before the already ordered, but still not installed Maenam-cable came – one of the supply-cables, the major one, broke and the island was literally without electric power for three days. We had one hour of electricity every 18 hours or so – with power-supply schedules were hanging on the doors in 7-Eleven shops – shifting between the districts and mainly generated by mobile 300kW trucks, which a lot of other provinces helped with sending some of to the island, so about 50 of them in total. People were physically fighting for the last flashlights in Tesco and like places, and obtaining batteries also became a problem...????

 

The image shows a generator truck, and the cable-layer ship for the last Mainland-Phangan-Maenam supply...

 

But always look at the bright side of life: We had plenty of cosy candlelight dinners during the blackout...

[xtrnuno41]

19 hours ago, khunPer said:

There are already several underwater high-voltage power-supply cables to the islands, but the increase of tourism and welfare in general makes the demand for further electricity higher – I hardly dare to think of all the electric cars coming to be charged, when the bridge project is finished... – at the moment a couple of cables comes in at the southern part of the island in Taling Ngam-district, and the latest heavy duty cable, which also feed Koh Phangan, comes in at north in Maenam...????

 

Not so many years ago – shortly before the already ordered, but still not installed Maenam-cable came – one of the supply-cables, the major one, broke and the island was literally without electric power for three days. We had one hour of electricity every 18 hours or so – with power-supply schedules were hanging on the doors in 7-Eleven shops – shifting between the districts and mainly generated by mobile 300kW trucks, which a lot of other provinces helped with sending some of to the island, so about 50 of them in total. People were physically fighting for the last flashlights in Tesco and like places, and obtaining batteries also became a problem...????

 

The image shows a generator truck, and the cable-layer ship for the last Mainland-Phangan-Maenam supply...

 

But always look at the bright side of life: We had plenty of cosy candlelight dinners during the blackout...

Ah, ok, so it is for capacity increase, but then where do you connect it to?

You need a powerplant to generate the increase of power. That one is also included in the budget? It is quite a budget.

And like Stocky said, wouldnt it be wise to use the bridge as a carrier for the cable? Make a space available to put cable in, even can create additional space for maybe another cable in the future?

Engineers need to get back to drawing board then. If the 2 projects would have been more "communicating", it would have already saved money. 

[Tropicalevo]

2 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

wouldnt it be wise to use the bridge as a carrier for the cable?

There is no bridge at the moment and there is no definite plan to build one.

There is a request for the bidding process to start. That is all.

 

Quote

construction of the 17 kilometre bridge could begin in 2025

Then again, maybe no one wants to bid or maybe it will fail the environmental impact assessment.

Quote

Then, we will complete an environmental assessment report (EIA) to submit for approval by the end of 2024.

Personally, I do not expect to see a bridge to Samui in my lifetime.

The estimated completion date of the electrical project is 2029 and that is only if they start the project now. Not some time in the future.

 

Last New year's Eve, there was a major power outage in the north east of the island, caused by heavy demand.

Transformers were exploding one after another all along the roads.

Quite a few 5* hotels lost a lot of money over that outage. Their comments to the government departments responsible are probably not printable.

Part of the local infrastructure in that area has already been upgraded to cater for additional power.

 

Samui needs more electricity (and water) now.

[khunPer]

3 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

Ah, ok, so it is for capacity increase, but then where do you connect it to?

You need a powerplant to generate the increase of power. That one is also included in the budget? It is quite a budget.

And like Stocky said, wouldnt it be wise to use the bridge as a carrier for the cable? Make a space available to put cable in, even can create additional space for maybe another cable in the future?

Engineers need to get back to drawing board then. If the 2 projects would have been more "communicating", it would have already saved money. 

The bridge is still a long-time on-going dream project, just like airport number 2. The latter is not possible due to separation between two airports; the island is simply too small.

 

There are two transformer plants – which is, what is needed – at the two cable arrival spots. A mainly open air station at south in Taling Ngam and a quite large newer building at north in Maenam. They cam probably manage one more supply, as the high-power infrastructure is also connected to these two transformer-stations...????

 

Taling Ngam "sub-station"...

 

Maenam PEA...

[xtrnuno41]

second airport? Crazy. I remember 2009 when airport was just opened?

I did a flight Phuket-Pattaya and then we landed on Samui, as they wanted to show the airport. I was amazed, we just got out for a cup of coffee or whatever and some pastries.

And then we went onward again to Pattaya. Must say I loved to see it then, it really looked nice, wonder how it is today. But second one? 

Then better do a train connection again (of course electric) with the bridge. Surat Thani airport, Surat Thani city and then cross the water to Samui. However with the remarks made, I see the bridge building is also far away. They made the budgets, but no effort to get it there?

However they got the first airport then?

I guess the power cables will be then another problem which will not be solved shortly.

An all-in-one bridge would be a great connection.

Train, cars and power cable all in one. I bet the Chinese can built it !

 

[khunPer]

4 hours ago, xtrnuno41 said:

second airport? Crazy. I remember 2009 when airport was just opened?

I did a flight Phuket-Pattaya and then we landed on Samui, as they wanted to show the airport. I was amazed, we just got out for a cup of coffee or whatever and some pastries.

And then we went onward again to Pattaya. Must say I loved to see it then, it really looked nice, wonder how it is today. But second one? 

Then better do a train connection again (of course electric) with the bridge. Surat Thani airport, Surat Thani city and then cross the water to Samui. However with the remarks made, I see the bridge building is also far away. They made the budgets, but no effort to get it there?

However they got the first airport then?

I guess the power cables will be then another problem which will not be solved shortly.

An all-in-one bridge would be a great connection.

Train, cars and power cable all in one. I bet the Chinese can built it !

 

The airport opened in 1989 and is private owned, no government tax money has been used. You might be talking about the new terminal buildings that opened in 2008...????

 

 

[xtrnuno41]

On 3/4/2023 at 8:30 AM, khunPer said:

The airport opened in 1989 and is private owned, no government tax money has been used. You might be talking about the new terminal buildings that opened in 2008...????

 

 

If  I look at pics and recalling it in memory, it must have been the private airport then.

I see pics of interior and that triggered it in my mind. However indeed open already for long time. Have no clue why we landend there, im sure it is/was 2009 , I ended up there for a short while, like I said for coffee and pastries, only!

Or the flight was new and therefor?  As Pattaya didnt had a commercial airport, it was a military thing then. I found that flight coincidentally on internet, as i was sure Pattya didnt had commercial airport, booked with the extra, however not mentioned on internet.

Never the less enjoyed the flight and visit.

 

[islandguy]

On 3/2/2023 at 12:57 PM, khunPer said:

There are already several underwater high-voltage power-supply cables to the islands, but the increase of tourism and welfare in general makes the demand for further electricity higher – I hardly dare to think of all the electric cars coming to be charged, when the bridge project is finished... – at the moment a couple of cables comes in at the southern part of the island in Taling Ngam-district, and the latest heavy duty cable, which also feed Koh Phangan, comes in at north in Maenam...????

 

Not so many years ago – shortly before the already ordered, but still not installed Maenam-cable came – one of the supply-cables, the major one, broke and the island was literally without electric power for three days. We had one hour of electricity every 18 hours or so – with power-supply schedules were hanging on the doors in 7-Eleven shops – shifting between the districts and mainly generated by mobile 300kW trucks, which a lot of other provinces helped with sending some of to the island, so about 50 of them in total. People were physically fighting for the last flashlights in Tesco and like places, and obtaining batteries also became a problem...????

 

The image shows a generator truck, and the cable-layer ship for the last Mainland-Phangan-Maenam supply...

 

But always look at the bright side of life: We had plenty of cosy candlelight dinners during the blackout...

 

[phetphet]

On 3/3/2023 at 12:25 PM, Tropicalevo said:

There is no bridge at the moment and there is no definite plan to build one.

There is a request for the bidding process to start. That is all.

 

Then again, maybe no one wants to bid or maybe it will fail the environmental impact assessment.

Personally, I do not expect to see a bridge to Samui in my lifetime.

The estimated completion date of the electrical project is 2029 and that is only if they start the project now. Not some time in the future.

 

Last New year's Eve, there was a major power outage in the north east of the island, caused by heavy demand.

Transformers were exploding one after another all along the roads.

Quite a few 5* hotels lost a lot of money over that outage. Their comments to the government departments responsible are probably not printable.

Part of the local infrastructure in that area has already been upgraded to cater for additional power.

 

Samui needs more electricity (and water) now.

Not forgetting better rubbish disposal or incineration.

[khunPer]

1 hour ago, islandguy said:

 

These photos, where power trucks were parked at the southern transformer station, are later than the mentioned black out. I believe it was a planned repair where the power supply was kept by borrowing generators from other provinces.