Organized Crime Against Foreigners

[Naam]

BTW... welcome to Thailand. You lose. You will always lose here. They won't allow it any other way.

only those who cannot adapt to reality lose. others live quite happily in Thailand and have a dirty grin on their faces when they hear about "crimes against Farangs". the reason why they grin is that they compare the crimes against Farangs in Thailand with the crimes against themselves committed by the taxman if they lived in their home country.

e.g. what is €UR 6-8k one time expense compared to the 47.5% total income tax in my home country? answer: peanuts! each and every year again and again and again they insist on taxes on income or capital gains generated from the net of already taxed money. and after they carry me to the crematorium or graveyard the taxman is there to put his hands in the pockets of my heirs.

[newtronbom]

Well done detective. Now work on this problem. You have angered the local mafia, specifically the boss, he knows your name, where you live and that you do not intend to stop your efforts to take away his rice bowl. Use your deductive powers here. The outcome is predictable. Dummy up.

Please quickly show me a place where I can hide.

Oh and by the way I'm not a detective,I only try to get my home hooked up to the public electricity network at a fair price.

If you are really not too concerned for your skin(or you own a couple of "Glocks" and know how to use them)go to channel 3 news with your proof. They love this sort of scandal and the main man speaks perfect English, as does the lovely lady beside him. They are quite impartial too, so take as much proof as you can. I don't mind a "bit of padding" if reasonable - though I personally wont stand it, as I've been here too long - but yours is way over the top I feel. I am starting to believe that the Gvt are actually trying to stamp down on this as well, so help them out and report it. If you go through with this, you are going up against powerful people and you should fully understand that fact. As I speak fluent Thai, I have always dealt with things like this myself on a one to one basis and try not to make them "lose face", while not hurting my own pocket too much either. You can't win them all though, and that's when I unleash my super weapon - my Thai wife - and she is much meaner than me! This has always resulted in the other party dealing with me, in any future problems:) thebom

[newtronbom]

BTW... welcome to Thailand. You lose. You will always lose here. They won't allow it any other way.

only those who cannot adapt to reality lose. others live quite happily in Thailand and have a dirty grin on their faces when they hear about "crimes against Farangs". the reason why they grin is that they compare the crimes against Farangs in Thailand with the crimes against themselves committed by the taxman if they lived in their home country.

e.g. what is €UR 6-8k one time expense compared to the 47.5% total income tax in my home country? answer: peanuts! each and every year again and again and again they insist on taxes on income or capital gains generated from the net of already taxed money. and after they carry me to the crematorium or graveyard the taxman is there to put his hands in the pockets of my heirs.

Fully agree with you Naam. I was paying 48% to the taxman, plus GST at the supermarket! One of the many good reasons we live here. Death duties. Aint it a bi#ch when they even steal from the dead??

[philliphn]

I don't blame you for being angry about this injustice.

It is true that Thailand is a very corrupt country. Their are situations when something may be done to mitigate these types of circumstance and occasions when their are not. You have to try and do what if anything can be done. Don't just be a sheep.

I think anybody who thinks of actually building a house in Thailand better think twice. Why invest so much in Thailand when you are treated in such unfair manners. Stop enriching the corrupt greedy scum.

[BlueSmurf]

This is just another reason to buy a house that is already built and has all sevices connected or NOT to buy at all. Learn by experience these add on rules nearly apply to everything. So enjoy Thailand its a great place but keep your money back at home ...Or only spend what you can afford to loose. Happy New Year to everyone. Dave

PS Really its not a good idea to take this any futher. pay up and shut up.Sorry not being rude but offering you sound advice.This is not your country.I do not want to see another "Breaking News" Farang found dead in Pattaya!!

[newtronbom]

I don't blame you for being angry about this injustice.

It is true that Thailand is a very corrupt country. Their are situations when something may be done to mitigate these types of circumstance and occasions when their are not. You have to try and do what if anything can be done. Don't just be a sheep.

I think anybody who thinks of actually building a house in Thailand better think twice. Why invest so much in Thailand when you are treated in such unfair manners. Stop enriching the corrupt greedy scum.

You should take a closer look at your own government in the good ole USA, before condemning this country. They deal in corruption(all over the world) on a scale equal to the "gross national product" here. Tidy your own back yard, before making comments like this!

[philliphn]

In my country wether you are Thai or not you may buy a house which you own.

You are not charged extra fare for transporatation just because your country of origin.

You don't pay more to have utilities installed because you are not American. The attitude in the USA is not you are not from USA so you pay more. In fact these things are forbidden by law. If you violate these laws you will be prosecuted and probably sued. This is a very small list.

Of course the USA is not perfect. We do have a rule of law. It is against the law to discriminate against some one because their nation of origin.

[monty]

Even if that red translation is not entirely correct, they do seem to have rather excessive profit margins.

Considering that they clearly include a 13,000 Baht "overhead" profit in the price, along with separately charged labor prices, makes a 50% profit margin on a concrete pole rather a lot!

Knowing how they work here, more likely then not a big chunk of that "extra" cost will return to the PEA, hence their reluctance to take on the job themselves. PEA can only give official invoices, any extra and they would have to openly ask for "bakshees"

Always found it rather strange that the subcontractors have an office attached to the PEA, and that all the people in there also seem to be PEA employees!

If it is any help to the OP ( and anyone else):

Office of the Consumer Protection Board

(Legal Affairs Branch)

Government House

Thanon Rachadamnoen Nok,

Dusit, Bangkok 10302

THAILAND

Tel: (66 2) 629-8259-60, 629-8262-4

Fax: (66 2) 629-7040

URL: www.ocpb.go.th

E-mail:consumer[at]ocpb.go.th

[Beardog]

Best thing to do install your own pole to your property . you will still have to pay the transformer cost but you will cut their profit margin down quite a bit. we were advised that for a I think it is a 45/100 service we may need a additional transformer. One joker told us we may need 3 phase. for minimal I do mean ultra minimal consumption 1200 baht a month. We didn't pay jack all for tea money & had to wait the almost 3 months (for the farang that won't cough up the tea money Que) but all we paid was for the poles & line to their drop. Their cost went down to about 10% of what they were dreaming on getting. That is a very typical trick here to let some poor sapsucker pay for the transformer upgrade that the Govn. should be paying for. While it sucked Having to wait an extra 2 months it was worth not getting dicked around in the end! All we paid for was 50 meters of upgraded cable to the existing power pole. Now if you can grease someone for a minimal amount & get it pushed through that may be worth it. But like TOT if I want a telephone line out in the sticks in Bang Sare - they want me to buy 4 kilos of line + installation. I wait for a phone line.Always away around the problem . You may have to get approval for having the subcontractor or contractor install the equip & just pay to hook up the transformer. It only cost me a case of beer Chang for the grease money. I still waited longer for Que but the govn. didn't get to rip me off & I made some good friends in the Govn. electrical company from my girlfriends charm & pleasant personality. I guess it was really short of a full case of beer I drank as well as Alisa!

Edited December 31, 2009 by Beardog

[Tolley]

Clearly the OP has not learned the basics when it comes to dealing with bureacracies.

Lots of moaning and whining against perceived injustices doesn't really do anyone any good.

Play the system to get what you want and forget about it.

You could have used a Thai name as others have suggested and let it rest but now because you seem to be on some sort of crusade it has probably gone too far so you are probably going to have to wear the extra cost.

Finally If you really want to be a matryr do what another poster suggested and go the media but be prepared for the consequences.

[Rimmer]

I purchase a my own 50kva TP transformer, 12 poles and HT cables for a lot more than 250k odd. At the end of the day when you factor it into the house build it is indeed a very small percent of the total cost.

I was very happy to get good stable power (228v constant) at a fraction of what it would cost me over the same distance in UK, it also took no time at all to organize.

[basjke]

I'm sorry everyone seems to be attacking you here for giving us your story. Personally I'm grateful for it, many people will see this (hopefully) and may be wiser going in because of your misfortune and kindness in posting it.

I think Barack is right, although he was rather rude in imparting it, that its probably best to forget about the meter being in your name and pout it in a Thai name - or a company name. I presume you have a company because you are building a house and need to put it somewhere (and as we all know non-Thais can not legally own land here in their own names). You may want to leave it a few weeks or use a different office.

Good luck.

Thanks for the heads up Wolf.As I said in the OP I already had a Thai person to register the installation in his name.Still they wanted her to pay 5000 Baht BEFORE they wanted to tell her how much the total cost would be>

Why??Because they were not gonna honor the price calculation they made previously.

[basjke]

Obviously you don't have much intention to take this further and you're just having a whine, so in reality you're probably going to do the sensible thing and just live like a sheep.

Then you don't know me yet.

[basjke]

Even if that red translation is not entirely correct, they do seem to have rather excessive profit margins.

Considering that they clearly include a 13,000 Baht "overhead" profit in the price, along with separately charged labor prices, makes a 50% profit margin on a concrete pole rather a lot!

Knowing how they work here, more likely then not a big chunk of that "extra" cost will return to the PEA, hence their reluctance to take on the job themselves. PEA can only give official invoices, any extra and they would have to openly ask for "bakshees"

Always found it rather strange that the subcontractors have an office attached to the PEA, and that all the people in there also seem to be PEA employees!

If it is any help to the OP ( and anyone else):

Office of the Consumer Protection Board

(Legal Affairs Branch)

Government House

Thanon Rachadamnoen Nok,

Dusit, Bangkok 10302

THAILAND

Tel: (66 2) 629-8259-60, 629-8262-4

Fax: (66 2) 629-7040

URL: www.ocpb.go.th

E-mail:consumer[at]ocpb.go.th

Thanks for those contact details Monty,that is what I was looking for.I will first look into the solution Beardog suggested and see which parts I can install myself,like you point out if I can install the pole myself I save already 15000 Baht but there are probably more things I can do to minimize their thievings,and if that still doesn't work out those contact details will be very handy.

[Jersey Jim]

why not buy your own generator, you can get small ones with automatic start on demand, housed in a sound prof enclosure you would not hear any noise,

best pf luck.

J.J

[doggie888888]

I'm sorry everyone seems to be attacking you here for giving us your story. Personally I'm grateful for it, many people will see this (hopefully) and may be wiser going in because of your misfortune and kindness in posting it.

Good luck.

Ditto...thank you for sharing your experience and taking the time to spell out the details.

[gharknes]

Get it done in Thai name then do a transfer after........................simple

[tropo]

*deleted*

Edited December 31, 2009 by tropo

[tropo]

Obviously you don't have much intention to take this further and you're just having a whine, so in reality you're probably going to do the sensible thing and just live like a sheep.

Then you don't know me yet.

Sorry, I gave you credit for being sensible.

You want to be a hero, so all I can say is enjoy your crusade.

[basjke]

Obviously you don't have much intention to take this further and you're just having a whine, so in reality you're probably going to do the sensible thing and just live like a sheep.

Then you don't know me yet.

Sorry, I gave you credit for being sensible.

You want to be a hero, so all I can say is enjoy your crusade.

Ok everybody I hear explosions and something like gunshots around my neighborhood for over an hour now so I'm definitely go in hiding in some secret busy place for the rest of the night.

Thank you all for the heads up and specifically Tropo for calling me a hero.Hope to meet you all here online again tomorrow.

Happy New Year to all of you.

Have to go now as the explosions come closer,wish me good luck.

[Tanaka]

Obviously you don't have much intention to take this further and you're just having a whine, so in reality you're probably going to do the sensible thing and just live like a sheep.

Then you don't know me yet.

Sorry, I gave you credit for being sensible.

You want to be a hero, so all I can say is enjoy your crusade.

I don't think you read the OP and what he means. Think he does not want to be trodden upon. Suppose you don't care about that for yourself. And when any thai whoever he might be, tells you to jump, you jump. Fine, just do not attack everyone who has some backbone.

[tropo]

Obviously you don't have much intention to take this further and you're just having a whine, so in reality you're probably going to do the sensible thing and just live like a sheep.

Then you don't know me yet.

Sorry, I gave you credit for being sensible.

You want to be a hero, so all I can say is enjoy your crusade.

I don't think you read the OP and what he means. Think he does not want to be trodden upon. Suppose you don't care about that for yourself. And when any thai whoever he might be, tells you to jump, you jump. Fine, just do not attack everyone who has some backbone.

It looks like you're trying to turn this into a "who's got the biggest balls" contest. Giving sound advice is not attacking.

I don't jump when Thais tell me to jump, but I also know when I'm going out of my depth. Something you and the OP have yet to learn. I prefer to go with the flow and enjoy my retirement. The time for standing on soap boxes has passed me by. We'll leave that for the OP, you and some other well known members of this forum.

Perhaps you should pair up with the OP and use the combined force of your extra large balls to fight this corrupt organisation.

Good luck!

[soundman]

Basjke - hope you can get your electricity situation sorted with a minimum of fuss & best of luck with the rest of the project.

As to this topic - hopefully other readers will learn something from it, however, I don't feel there is much of value to be added by everyone getting into a pissing contest.

Closed.

PS - Happy New Year to all.