The Yearly Water Scam Has Begun

[Tony Clifton]

Here we go again this year, like clockwork. No water again. Funny enough that a new pipe line was laid last year, running from the Bang Pakong river to the Bang Phra reservoir. Like every year, the water trucks are going in an out the local moo bans in the area. There is no work going on with the water main in the area and it conveniently happens over the week-end preceding a national holiday when all the industrial workers are home. Even at 3 or 4 am, not a drop from the tap for 6 days.

I checked around on the main road, plenty of pressure at shops without a water pump while the villages are completely dry. I guess someone else than those already in office have to pay for all these election posters and expenses.

I sincerely hope they run their little scam real good for the last time before the locals vote these scumbags out of office.

[ZukiSuzuki]

May i ask what area do you live in?

[Tony Clifton]

Chonburi, where mafia lords are worshiped.

[angsila]

I also live in Chonburi in a housing complex on a main road and have no water. I can stay here without water or go to the upcontry house where the neighbors are making charcoal 24/7. So it's water or clean air.

[Etrigan]

I noticed along the Chonburi bypass the huge billboards that guarantee water. I think they're cutting your supply to make sure Industrial zone 3 doesn't run out. Hardly fair!

[sriracha john]

Sorry to hear about the water woes, Tony.

Seems they started early this season as down the road, we usually don't get rationed water hours (begins with 12h/day and then drops lower) until later.

Have to laugh at the industrial parks' "guaranteed" signs... it's rather unspecific, eg. providing a 5 liter jug of drinking water for employee use might satisfy this "guarantee."

[chanchao]

Isn't this a really strange/early time in the season to be out of water? I always figured the main crunch was near the end of the dry season, yet right now we've only entered the dry season since about a month or so?

[quiksilva]

I noticed along the Chonburi bypass the huge billboards that guarantee water. I think they're cutting your supply to make sure Industrial zone 3 doesn't run out. Hardly fair!

No, thats not the case. They are advertising an industrial estate nowhere near Chonburi, yes I know the billboard is there, they are trying to lure industrial users from this location to Kabinburi.

[Dakhar]

Our village been out of water for about 2-3 months now. We have a pump, but at a different building on the property. So we have to run a garden hose from that building to the house, pump water through the house water line, back into the holding tanks. Kind of a reverse process.

It works, but we have to pump every 2-3 days to fill top off the tanks. It is a bother, but I think you are right, it has got to be a scam of some sort.

[jonniebkk]

Muang Pattaya seems safe...Maprachan reservoir is the fullest I have seen in many a year. There has been no water shortages in East Pattaya for over a year now. Unlike a few years ago when there were shortages each "summer" for a couple years in a row.

[sriracha john]

Muang Pattaya seems safe...Maprachan reservoir is the fullest I have seen in many a year. There has been no water shortages in East Pattaya for over a year now. Unlike a few years ago when there were shortages each "summer" for a couple years in a row.

and so is our Bang Phra reservoir... for now....

but if the "water hours" begin, I'll have to go into stealth mode and shut off the new pipeline running from the Bang Phra reservoir that helps to keep the Maprachan reservoir full.

Where water is concerned, it's every community for themselves....

Edited December 7, 2007 by sriracha john

[Bagwan]

The Suksabai Villa area of South Pattaya has been on water rationing now for 2 weeks. I'm just off out to buy another plastic tank so that I have a reserve of 2000 litres. BTW my water bill has been the same every month for the past two years. I'm wondering if this is because of a minimum charge being levied or the Water Office is in a SNAFU state.

Edited December 7, 2007 by Bagwan

[soundman]

I noticed along the Chonburi bypass the huge billboards that guarantee water. I think they're cutting your supply to make sure Industrial zone 3 doesn't run out. Hardly fair!

No, thats not the case. They are advertising an industrial estate nowhere near Chonburi, yes I know the billboard is there, they are trying to lure industrial users from this location to Kabinburi.

Absolutley no "guarantee" of 24/7 water in Kabinburi. Not quite as dodgy as on the Eastern Seaboard but not real good either.

[Tony Clifton]

3:39 am., still not a drop.

I just remembered a Thai friend telling me the Amata Nakorn Industrial park has it's own water intake from the Bang Pakong river. They pump in salt water and have a desalinization plant? I think not. I know they have an open water reservoir but there's no way a whole industrial park can operate on rain water reserves alone. They also have severe flood problems every year with a totally inadequate drainage system.

I'll investigate some more with a few friends tomorrow.

[JonnieB]

BTW my water bill has been the same every month for the past two years. I'm wondering if this is because of a minimum charge being levied or the Water Office is in a SNAFU state.

Yes, it is my understanding that there is a minimum charge and I guess with this minimum, you get so many litres of water. Once you go beyond this minimum water usage, you start to get charged extra per litre or something. My bill is the same...about B85 per month (the minimum charge I believe) ... never more or less, no matter even if I am gone for a couple weeks out of the month (and presumably used less water than the month before).

Edited December 8, 2007 by JonnieB

[PadThaiGuy]

No water but the construction continues.

Who buys these places and why?

[tuky]

Tony, a while ago I paid around 15k baht for a well to be drilled in my backyard, I forgte how much the pump was but I have a tap to switch the well water (naam bore) between feeding the gardens or feeding the tank. I also bought an RO filter with UV which I think is a little overkill to fill up the spa but we also fill up the drinking water cooler etc etc.

I used to go through the same issues you are now, and had to pay 2-300 baht for a truck load of water that lasted us a week, this lasted several months each year.

Not such a big outlay for myself to guarantee constant water supply year in and year out, so the math

BTW, we are we going to catch up? I have found a new fishing hole at Nong Kor.

[Tony Clifton]

I won't bother with a well. Who knows what we'd be pumping in... Same mystery as the provenance of delivered water.

We're leaving the country within a year anyway.

No water.

Dangerous roads.

Crappy education system.

High crime rate and incompetent police force you can't rely on.

Dishonest hospitals.

Political instability that's not about to end.

Not the best of places for the little one to grow up.

[tuky]

I won't bother with a well. Who knows what we'd be pumping in... Same mystery as the provenance of delivered water.

We're leaving the country within a year anyway.

No water.

Dangerous roads.

Crappy education system.

High crime rate and incompetent police force you can't rely on.

Dishonest hospitals.

Political instability that's not about to end.

Not the best of places for the little one to grow up.

You have a little one?

When did that happen mate?

[Tony Clifton]

I won't bother with a well. Who knows what we'd be pumping in... Same mystery as the provenance of delivered water.

We're leaving the country within a year anyway.

No water.

Dangerous roads.

Crappy education system.

High crime rate and incompetent police force you can't rely on.

Dishonest hospitals.

Political instability that's not about to end.

Not the best of places for the little one to grow up.

You have a little one?

When did that happen mate?

He should be born sometime around Jan 12, veeeery soon.

I quit smoking too! Dec 10.

[dr_Pat_Pong]

I won't bother with a well. Who knows what we'd be pumping in... Same mystery as the provenance of delivered water.

We're leaving the country within a year anyway.

No water.

Dangerous roads.

Crappy education system.

High crime rate and incompetent police force you can't rely on.

Dishonest hospitals.

Political instability that's not about to end.

Not the best of places for the little one to grow up.

You have a little one?

When did that happen mate?

He should be born sometime around Jan 12, veeeery soon.

I quit smoking too! Dec 10.

Very very well done. Congratulations and Happy New Year.