Does This Country Only Exist Out Of Brainless People

[basjke]

I have a TOT connection for a few years which sucks big time as everyone will know but until recently there was no alternative in my area.I was happily surprised when a few weeks ago TT&T placed billboards in soi Khao Talo that they had adsl connections available.

So up I went to the TT&T office in Naklua about 2 weeks ago and asked if I could have a connection in my Mubaan.They checked in their computer and said it would be no problem and that I would be connected in about 1 week time.So straight away I signed the contract,gave them all the necessary documents,paid the fee and went home with my new modem.Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine.

On Tuesday I called the office and asked when they gonna connect me.Of course I got the usual answer of "I don't know" but after some more calls I got confirmed that it would be installed today.

So today comes but no sign of TT&T engineers,so I call them again and then got the following answer.We not have cable for your area but if you pay an extra 9000 Baht we can pull more cable.I told them that I signed a contact already and that they confirmed the availability and took my money already but the only reply was that they were NOT SURE at that time and that if I didn't cough up the extra 9000 Baht their would be no connection.

My reply that I would report this to their headoffice and eventually to a consumer protection organization resulted in the usually "up to you".

So they check in their database upon signing the contract,accept my application and my money and then after a few weeks they simply change the rules to their own likeness because they say they weren't sure.

Is there anything you think I can do against this as this is clearly a case of power abuse.

[patsfangr]

I feel genuine empathy for you, 'basjke'. This sort of inefficient, and truly unethical behavior is disturbingly common here in many businesses.

I am curious about your threat to "report this to their headoffice and eventually to a consumer protection organization." May I ask what "consumer protection agency" you know to exist here? I have never heard of such an organization in Thailand; and can't imagine that there be one with any real power.

Anybody else know of such an agency? If one does exist, we should spread the news, and make maximum use of it for all negative experiences with businesses here.

[bkkjames]

besides burning down their offices (kidding), i suggest you write a nasty letter to Pattaya Mail or something. Nothing motivates these people more than loss of face.

[Sommaz]

Help is at hand... simply;

1. wrap a turd in a newspaper

2. place it on their doorstep

3. set it on fire

4. ring the doorbell

5. run away.

Your internet might still be sh*te, but atleast your sense of humour would have been restored.

[undercover]

Thailand Consumer Protection Act 1979. referenced BE 2522.

Don't know anything about it but I wouldent be at all surprised if you get the standard "up to you" comment from them

Your experiance sounds just as futile as getting any satisfaction from the Kasikorn bank on Sukumvit road Pattaya.

[Lorin]

Basjke, dont waste your time complaining, cause it wont help, I suggest you to go back to their office with someone that speak Thai(wife/gf/friend), explain the situation again and try to push em a bit. Some tea money under the table can help as well. Those guys moving their ass only when they see direct benefit to themselves. Good luck.

[toptuan]

Apprently the OP hasn't learned about the nature of "contracts" in Thailand.

Newbie?

[imaneggspurt]

Apprently the OP hasn't learned about the nature of "contracts" in Thailand.

Newbie?

well thats what i thought also, its no good applying western ideas here,.it falls on deaf/stupid ears im afraid,.put up or shut up applies here id say, its a joke at best ,.remember they HATE us and think we are all spoilt children,

[BSJ]

imaneggspurt: remember they HATE us and think we are all spoilt children,

Yer......and???

[offset]

I have a TOT connection for a few years which sucks big time as everyone will know but until recently there was no alternative in my area.I was happily surprised when a few weeks ago TT&T placed billboards in soi Khao Talo that they had adsl connections available.

So up I went to the TT&T office in Naklua about 2 weeks ago and asked if I could have a connection in my Mubaan.They checked in their computer and said it would be no problem and that I would be connected in about 1 week time.So straight away I signed the contract,gave them all the necessary documents,paid the fee and went home with my new modem.Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine.

On Tuesday I called the office and asked when they gonna connect me.Of course I got the usual answer of "I don't know" but after some more calls I got confirmed that it would be installed today.

So today comes but no sign of TT&T engineers,so I call them again and then got the following answer.We not have cable for your area but if you pay an extra 9000 Baht we can pull more cable.I told them that I signed a contact already and that they confirmed the availability and took my money already but the only reply was that they were NOT SURE at that time and that if I didn't cough up the extra 9000 Baht their would be no connection.

My reply that I would report this to their headoffice and eventually to a consumer protection organization resulted in the usually "up to you".

So they check in their database upon signing the contract,accept my application and my money and then after a few weeks they simply change the rules to their own likeness because they say they weren't sure.

Is there anything you think I can do against this as this is clearly a case of power abuse.

If that is the place opposite Aiyara Palace I had the same type of problem. Next door and the lady over the road have TT&T so I thought that I would give them a try paid up told 5 days for engineer 2 days later internet. On the 5th day engineer arrives puts in new cable and then goes does not check anything inside 2 days later no phone line ring told engineer tomorrow this happened for 3 days go to office told engineer will contact tomorrow no engineer go to office to be told the line is not good for ADSL will take 2 days to put right no good after 2 day back to office to be told that I have to change 2 wires in box on the pole outside my house after telling them many times that the engineer put in new cables and a new box already she just said that is what I had to do so i told her that I wanted to cancel to be told that she needed modem back which she got (had it in car in case) but they are not bothered they have to many people applying to worry about the few that cause trouble they will cream off the best customers and not worry about anything else

[imaneggspurt]

imaneggspurt: remember they HATE us and think we are all spoilt children,

Yer......and???

most of us are !

[pattayaGaz]

I was a BT Field Engineer back in the UK for over twenty years or what the Yanks call a Linesman, as far as I know TT&T was an attempt by a previous Thai government to introduce competition into their Telecoms sector, in most cases they lease the lineplant i.e. the cables from TOT and provide their own service, it's the same as the local loop unbundling in the UK where you keep your connection and telephone number but change provider, so given that you allready have a TOT line I don't understand why you can not be provided with a TT&T line using your existing cables, again as far as I know they use the same Telephone Exchange in Pattaya Klang , you certainly pay your TT&T bill there, ask them why your present lineplant cannot be used ? I certainly would be interested to hear their answer.

[imaneggspurt]

I was a BT Field Engineer back in the UK for over twenty years or what the Yanks call a Linesman, as far as I know TT&T was an attempt by a previous Thai government to introduce competition into their Telecoms sector, in most cases they lease the lineplant i.e. the cables from TOT and provide their own service, it's the same as the local loop unbundling in the UK where you keep your connection and telephone number but change provider, so given that you allready have a TOT line I don't understand why you can not be provided with a TT&T line using your existing cables, again as far as I know they use the same Telephone Exchange in Pattaya Klang , you certainly pay your TT&T bill there, ask them why your present lineplant cannot be used ? I certainly would be interested to hear their answer.

Hearing it would be one thing, understanding it another ! ,..

[tattoodrob]

im afraid its a case of TIT.

as you know nothing here is as easy as it should be,and in this case(and most cases) they happy to take your money first and if they cant do it then its your problem not theres.in this case then youre lucky if you got your money back as with other smaller companies its difficult to get anything back.

im still waiting for a website to be done 3 months after speaking to the thai website designer who told me 2 weeks and finished,he dont answer his phone,metal shutters on shop down and only phones me when i get real nasty(by sms as he wont answer phone).when he calls me then its the usual crap....mother on deaths door,he cut his hand bad(this only one that was true but wasnt a real bad bad cut),staff not turn up etc etc etc....and i tell him give me my money back and i will get someone else to finish it then he says he will finish it in a few days ...promise,sure all that shit then we back to square one.i also have told him 10 times if he aint got time to do it then just tell me and i will pay for someone else to finish it then i get all the bullshit of "sure i do it tonight" etc

its not even the money as aint give him that much(he gets more when done),i just want website finished....after all my moaning etc its about 30 percent done and as i already spent hours telling/writing what i want i dont want to start again but hel_l if id known he was full of crap i wouldnt have bothered but im stupid and believed him so gave him some money to start it.i will not be so stupid in the future and havent been so in the past but didnt realise this smiling polite english speaking thai guy was as lazy as the rest.i gave benefit of doubt and was wrong.

now there is no one to complain to about this(only u lot haha) and no chance of money back and more importantly my lost time and lack of business website.end of rant.

ps this is why thailand will never come up......ever.lack of brains-lack of honesty.we have to live with it or get out.LOS.....LAND OF STRESS

[Langsuan Man]

................Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine......

This is the point at which a little tea money would have served you well

[basjke]

................Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine......

This is the point at which a little tea money would have served you well

I don't think so because they were not aware of my application for a connection.In my eyes this is just another example of scrupulous business practices.Like another poster said,this country will NEVER reach first world status with this attitude.

[xminator]

Pay 9000 and get you internet, and then forget it. Life is too short for lingering on details.

[basjke]

Pay 9000 and get you internet, and then forget it. Life is too short for lingering on details.

I was waiting for a reply of this kind.The next thing we need is the league that says "if you don't like it go home".

Why the <removed> should I pay the 9000 baht when there was a written and paid contract that doesn't mention this extra extortion.

[Langsuan Man]

................Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine......

This is the point at which a little tea money would have served you well

I don't think so because they were not aware of my application for a connection.In my eyes this is just another example of scrupulous business practices.Like another poster said,this country will NEVER reach first world status with this attitude.

Correct, you should have made them aware. You either learn how to play the game in Thailand or stop whining. UP TO YOU

[basjke]

................Then end of last week I saw their "engineers" were pulling cable into my village and asked them if it was for my house but they told me it was supposed for a house little bit further down from mine......

This is the point at which a little tea money would have served you well

I don't think so because they were not aware of my application for a connection.In my eyes this is just another example of scrupulous business practices.Like another poster said,this country will NEVER reach first world status with this attitude.

Correct, you should have made them aware. You either learn how to play the game in Thailand or stop whining. UP TO YOU

So you think that with some tea money they would pull some hundred meters of cable and just connect me without any notice from the office.Keep dreaming.

I know tea money can deliver you some extra's but you are talking about wonders.Maybe I should give you some tea money as you seem to know the way.

Edited October 15, 2008 by basjke

[foxxx]

the simple fact is they took the cash thinking there was cable there and when the techs got there, there wasn't. its a mistake that happens in lots of countries.

you can work on getting a refund, i have no doubt you could get a refund.

once you get your refund, find a neighbor down the road that has internet, offer to pay for their internet in exchange for putting up a wireless transmitter, and just set yourself up a wireless connection.

then again you could just pay the 9,000 and move on. it's really piss all money and you should at least have nice new cables and a stable connection. i'm sure there's many other things you spend more than 9,000 on that you could do without to pay for it.

don't understand why people moan over small trivial things that don't cost much or take much to resolve.

if you don't like it - leave. it's a country that is lacking infrastructure, controls, regulations, so take that in mind when you're dealing with things.

also, i used to live about 20 mins from the center of the gold coast in Australia (pretty big city), and Telstra wanted to charge me $1,500AU to run a cable from the exchange down the road (100m) to my house. And that was after I had paid for a connection as well. 9,000b is cheap.

[toptuan]

Pay 9000 and get you internet, and then forget it. Life is too short for lingering on details.

I was waiting for a reply of this kind.The next thing we need is the league that says "if you don't like it go home".

Why the <removed> should I pay the 9000 baht when there was a written and paid contract that doesn't mention this extra extortion.

There's that enigmatic "C' word again. You're just not going to take off those western-tinted glasses, are you?

[tattoodrob]

the simple fact is they took the cash thinking there was cable there and when the techs got there, there wasn't. its a mistake that happens in lots of countries.

you can work on getting a refund, i have no doubt you could get a refund.

once you get your refund, find a neighbor down the road that has internet, offer to pay for their internet in exchange for putting up a wireless transmitter, and just set yourself up a wireless connection.

then again you could just pay the 9,000 and move on. it's really piss all money and you should at least have nice new cables and a stable connection. i'm sure there's many other things you spend more than 9,000 on that you could do without to pay for it.

don't understand why people moan over small trivial things that don't cost much or take much to resolve.

if you don't like it - leave. it's a country that is lacking infrastructure, controls, regulations, so take that in mind when you're dealing with things.

also, i used to live about 20 mins from the center of the gold coast in Australia (pretty big city), and Telstra wanted to charge me $1,500AU to run a cable from the exchange down the road (100m) to my house. And that was after I had paid for a connection as well. 9,000b is cheap.

u didnt say whether u paid the $1500 dollars???

maybe u did as 9000 bt is peanuts to you on top of contract fees

that reminds me im skint can u lend me 20k baht for rent/food this month,infact why not give it to me as you seem to be rolling in it and would probably spend it anyway on something you could do without.

also if you knew basjke then you wouldnt say just pay it as its trivial....check his former posts and you will find he gets very upset in loss of a 30 bt overcharge on bananas at carrefour so 9000 bt would make him seriously mad ,sorry basjke to remind you of that very sad day.

surely we dont have to like everything when living here so why cant we have a moan about it,if we put up with crap and say nothing all the time then is more frustrating...i at least like to moan to my mates or my thai mrs who doesnt understand why her fellow thais are so inefficient,lacking common sense,no service skills etc etc....makes her angry too .....maybe she should leave ..........actually thats a good idea but i suspect she wants me to go with her

ps what do u moan about? or u think corruption is acceptable anywhere as this is what most things boil down to here.

in baskjes case here it may have been a genuine mistake but hes the one who runs around and chases the problem and probably got no apology or phone call explaining they arent coming while he sits there waiting.......sorry seems to be the hardest word to say for thai people,ask my mrs ,shes never been wrong in her life but it would certainly make everything a lot easier instead of not accepting blame.

[smedly]

the 9000baht is the tea money

and they do use the existing line from TOT, TOT owns all the lines, your switch to TT&TEA should be a simple affair, make sure you tell them loudly you already have a TOT line.

[basjke]

the 9000baht is the tea money

and they do use the existing line from TOT, TOT owns all the lines, your switch to TT&TEA should be a simple affair, make sure you tell them loudly you already have a TOT line.

TT&T doesn't use the lines from TOT.True does use the lines from TOT but in exchange for that you pay on top of their subscriber fee an extra 1000 baht a month to rent the line from TOT.

Edited October 16, 2008 by basjke

[basjke]

the simple fact is they took the cash thinking there was cable there and when the techs got there, there wasn't. its a mistake that happens in lots of countries.

you can work on getting a refund, i have no doubt you could get a refund.

No it was not a simple mistake because I went back to get my refund and after I got the money in hands I managed to seize the contracts including the original from their desk so I had some prove in case of a complaint.And guess what I found out?They changed the queue number on the original contract.So when I applied they had lines available but they put me down the list because probably someone with another skin color then me must have asked for a line also.

But yes we just have to take it because we are guests in this country isn't it.

[Laeotaekhun]

Apprently the OP hasn't learned about the nature of "contracts" in Thailand.

Newbie?

I can understand, exactly, where you are coming from.

However, I have managed to acquire 3 months "unlimited internet access" from A.I.S. FREE, because they accepted my arguments about "duty of care", concerning their rubbish connection - They, also, sent engineers out 4 times!

[Gary A]

Unfortunately this is the type of service you get when the government has their fingers in and control the public utilities. Even private communication companies are at the mercy of inefficient government planning and pathetic attitudes.