My Electricity And Water Prices Are Far Too Much Is It Legal

[RichardMichealErangey]

hello i need some advise i have owned a house on koh tao since 2006.i work in the uk in the building industry.but like to spend winters at my house in thailand.i brought the house from a local thai with a small piece of land.the house was advertised as having government electricity which was 3bht a unit but there was also a private electricity supplier for when the government generator could not cope with supply.so i agreed to pay 9 baht a unit and 100 baht a unit for water.i pay the landowner.i paid 2.6 million baht which was a very good price high but i liked the house so paid it.about a month later the thai guy knocked on the door and demanded 20000 baht as he was fitting a stabilizer and doing some improvements to the power supply.i refused as i had just given him a large sum of cash for the house.the next day he put my electricity up to 20 baht a unit and water to 150bht.then a year later the electricity went up to 25 bht a unit and water to 200.now the electricity is 30 baht and water 250.i regularly pay between 7000 and 9000 a month for water and electricity.i complained to the local police but they couldn't help.my neighbours whos house is just of the guys land pay a fraction of this.no one on the island seems to be paying more than 10 baht for electricity.i like the house but feel i have to sell up and move.is there anything i can do.do i have any rights.is he breaking the law.my thai wife has spoken to the guy but he says he can charge what he wants.has anyone got any advice..thanks

[Darrel]

Why dont you just get the electricity supply connected directly to your own house?

As long as you are doing anything that involves a third party they will be overcharging you; they always do, be they Thai or farang.

I'm in a rented condo in Pattaya and I pay 4B directly. If I was paying the owner or an agent it would probably cost me much more.

Edited December 12, 2011 by Darrel

[GreenSnapper]

30 Baht for a unit?

That must be record even in Thailand.

[Crossy]

OUCH! Sadly as a private supplier I don't think you can do a thing about it other than try and source government power.

We're currently paying about 30 Baht a unit, but that's from a small gasoline generator whilst our mains is off due to flood damage. So I suppose privately sourced power could actually be costing something approaching that.

[NancyL]

Another option is to install your own generator for electricity. Hope you can shower at the fitness center send out your laundry since a clothes washer is the big user of water in a home.

[billd766]

Up here out in the countryside we have mains water and electricity.

We pay 2 baht per cubic meter (unit) for water and I think between 3 and 4 baht per unit of electricity.

At 30 baht per unit of electricity you would be cheaper to buy a big diesel generator and generate your own and I am sure that somebody in the Amphur or Tessaban will deliver water in tanker loads for much cheaper than he charges.

[Langsuan Man]

i have owned a house on koh tao since 2006.

Doesn't sound to me like you own the house, sounds like you signed a 30 year lease

there was also a private electricity supplier for when the government generator could not cope with supply.

So are you paying this exorbitant price for electricity and water FROM this "private electricity supplier " or are you paying these outrageous prices to the person from whom you "bought" this house ?

i like the house but feel i have to sell up and move.is there anything i can do.do i have any rights.

Good luck with that, since no one in their right minds is going to get involved in a house where the utilities are higher than RENT would be