Is Cell Phone Service Re-instated In Sathorn Area?

[orchidlady]

I left Thailand in a rush during the protests as soon as I got my work permit renewed(my employer dragged their feet). They sent me a text message one night and said be at immigration the next the next morning. That was the day before a holiday. After that the banks were closed.They were closed for over a week. I had trouble getting a return flight and got the only flight out that fit my return flight needs. I left within 24 hours. .

I had been trying to call my landlord to see what she wanted done about the rent. The rent was not due till first of June-actually if I wait until I come back it will be 8 days late. I usually pay it at the bank into her account-the banks have been closed so that was not possible. She lives in Sathorn area and I kept getting "no service"-figured it was because of the blocking by the government. The electric bill is actually in my landlord's name. It is a condo.

My electric bill had not come for the month when I was ready to leave. I tried calling the electric company-I could not get through on the English speaking line. Their offices were shut down due to a holiday and the government granting a few extra days holidays before I left so I could not go in person to try to pay. Their office was also bombed I believe. When they were open only for calls, I talked to someone who told me as my bill was due on the 26th, I could pay by Internet but I was not set up for bill pay service and could not sign up up in time.My Thai Internet provider said it takes 24 hours after you register to take effect.

I have had a friend try calling daily and she got the same message.She has now gone on vacation. My electric bill never came in the mail-probably got lost...

Is it possible to pay the electric bill by wire transfer to electric company account? The bill is actually due today and I don't want my electricity shut off before I get back. The building management was not around for me to ask what to do before I left and they don't speak English anyway so it would have been very difficult communicating anyway-there are only a few foreigners in the building.

I see on thaivisa that it is possible to pre-pay electric service so when I come back I can do that but I need suggestions on what I can do now as I have no Internet address for my landlord only a cell phone number. I saw on the TV during the PM's speech that the elctric company was going to give people additional time to pay their bills and would not shut off service--but I don't think they will give people two additional weeks!

All of my colleagues have left the country also so I need something I can do myself from the USA please.

Any suggestions?

[mjperry]

If you have access to the Bangkok Bang Bualuang internet banking you can pay your electric bill online. But in order to do that you will need to know some information from the bill that is due to be paid, that is your MEA customer number/meter number, the invoice reference number and how much to pay of course. On the internet banking site when you go to add the bill payment to MEA it shows you a sample picture of a billand where the information is you need from it. If you can't get someone to check your mailbox to get these details for you you could try calling MEA now that things are open again and getting this info to pay online. You need to do this today though, if the bill is overdue it will not let you pay it online.

Hope thats of some help

Martin

[thailandbluegrass]

Why would you get your work permit and then leave for America the next day anyways? your story sounds like you have more problems then paying your bills. They might pull your WP if you did not show up at Immigration the next day anyways. Your story doesnt hold much juice so to speak.

[orchidlady]

My university (Thai government) sends a legal assistant with a large group of us to get our visa (extension of stays )renewed, work permits etc. When one person has a problem (as happened this time) the whole group suffers and is delayed. I wanted to get everything including re-entry done that day. We were only able to get our visa renewals done and then went in person to the labor board. The legal assistant copied whatever he needed from our passports, turned in our expiring work permits and said we were good to leave-- he would send the renewed work permits to our office at the university.

We did all of this on Wednesday, May 5 and the next day Thursday was a holiday. That Wednesday was when all hel_l broke loose and all government offices were closed after that until May 24 I believe. I got my multiple re-entry at the airport when I was leaving the country. My university has said they will hold my renewed work permit in their office until I return from overseas.

Maybe when you are getting a NEW, first time work permit you need to go back in person. The legal assistant knew several of us were leaving the country-one was leaving that Saturday, and several of us in the next week as soon as we could get flights.