Have To Pay For Road Works

[drum]

a friend has just told me the local council or goverment in thai has been building a new high way road,that runs past there homes ,now when the project started early this year ,the said home owners were assured that new sewer work would be under-taken to prevent there homes and land flooding from rain water falling from the new road,,, the contractors are now out side there home,asking or demanding if you like they have to pay bt 30.000 for the sewer work to be carried out,has the funds have now ran out,if they do not or can not pay,with in 3 weeks the road contractors leave site,with out carrying out the needed sewer works,

is this usualy practice,for contractors to ask for money for the works,or just the norm local goverment run out of funds and ask payment from home owners,

is there any one they can turn to for help,or do the contractors have final say,,,no money no sewer work,

[SimonD]

Tell your friend to keep their wallet in their pocket! Suggest they go to the local district office (amphoe/muban, take Thai speaker) and try to find out what is going on IF they feel the need. So long as one has the essential services try ignoring it and the endless and receiptless demands.

This happened near me when I lived in Pattaya. New water pipes (government pipes no less) were installed. Holes were dug and left................................ Then another hole was dug, and another, and left..............................The place looked like the second day of the Somme after a week of 'work'.

More craters than the lunar surface.

It went on for months. Motosai were falling into the potholes (cunningly sited on corners) every day.

Give it time and the soi will get back to crazy normal.

Golden rule for dealing with Thai authorities: Don't let ANYONE bully you into paying for services you have not ordered or asked for. No paperwork, no pay. Always be polite (be very polite), calm voice and smiling but stand your ground or you will get shafted. Weakness is ruthlessly exploited. Firmness (with politeness) commands respect. Sounds like the old water/waste truck scam all over again.

Mai bpen rai.

Edited November 23, 2011 by SimonD

[drum]

the friends in question,are local people thai,there rice farmers,not very well of,and can well do with out the cost of the works, or the worry there having in there aged years that there home and gardens are now prone to flooding

would local contractors stoop so low as to either trick these people or even ask for money,knowing there local and not so well off,30.000 bt dose seem a low estimate to plant these under ground sewers,or would local contractors know thats the limit these people could afford to pay,,,either way,its there life savings,pay up or get flooded out,,what choice do they have,, i have the feeling they are concerned not to rock the boat with the road contractors,

thanks for the advice,i will ask my friend to speak there corner at the local office,,

[Boater]

the friends in question,are local people thai,there rice farmers,not very well of,and can well do with out the cost of the works, or the worry there having in there aged years that there home and gardens are now prone to flooding

would local contractors stoop so low as to either trick these people or even ask for money,knowing there local and not so well off,30.000 bt dose seem a low estimate to plant these under ground sewers,or would local contractors know thats the limit these people could afford to pay,,,either way,its there life savings,pay up or get flooded out,,what choice do they have,, i have the feeling they are concerned not to rock the boat with the road contractors,

thanks for the advice,i will ask my friend to speak there corner at the local office,,

yes .... morals are not teached in most parts of thailand ... its all about money