Deposit Refund At The Electricity Department

[SwaziBird]

Not quite certain whether this was a bad joke or for real !

I have a genuine feeling that they hardly ever refund deposits.

I had 3 x 2000 baht deposits lodged with the Electricity Department which I thought were worth my trip to the department to recover, having just sold my apartments.

The new purchaser had been to the Department and established deposits in his own name. They refused to refund the old deposits to him and stated that I would need to present myself to claim these.

I arrived with at 10.20 a.m. showed them the copy of my original deposit receipts which they had, on the previous day, endorsed with notations indicating that the new owner had paid the new required deposits.

There was only one other patron being served at the time so I was seen immediately.

I thought....this is going to be a breeze.....

Now, I confess that my Thai language skill is almost non-existent but, with no less than 5 members of staff all gathered around, many smiles and comments about my passport photograph, I was told that I needed to pay 41 baht - which I did, uncertainly, presuming it to be a fee of some sort for attending to my refund.

I was given the receipt for the 41 baht and basically dispensed with.

I held my ground and asked for the refunds per the endorsed receipts which indicated that new deposits had been received in substitution.. There was complete perplexity and I was pointed to the unmanned Information Desk. At that point a young lady just walked through the doorway and was called to speak to me in English. She understood my request and took me across to someone who appeared to be a general manager. As before, the receipts and their endorsements were scrutinised, turned over and over and after what seemed an interminable delay the young lady was despatched to another department for some unknown purpose. When she returned she directed me to a department at the back where the "file" on these apartments had been retrieved and the Officer was able to commence processing my request...but not before another department head was summoned and another lengthy and seemingly perplexed and earnest discussion followed.

After customary signings of passport photo-copies I was told to please take a seat at the magazine table and wait for an hour ...yes. that's right...an hour !! - for the refund.

40 minutes later I was called to that Officer's desk and he, with the assistance of his supervisor told me to proceed to the front counter again where I would receive my refund,

I waited another 10 minutes for the papers to come forward and that's when the officer at the front counter seemed lost. He had to call the Supervisor again to get his next instruction.

I walked out at 12.00. I had spent over an hour and a half waiting for what was really a very simple matter.

THAT IS THE SHORT VERSION, FRIENDS. Thanks for your patience. I'm uncertain why I was made to pay the 41 baht ( although I have an idea). I feel that without the help of that young lady I might have been there for many hours more. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I really find it hard to believe that they are accustomed to refunding deposits. Seems very strange to me.

Cheers.

Edited September 13, 2012 by SwaziBird

[Bosse137]

Well,did you get the refund or not?? Guess you did,finally.. I had a very similar experience,although I can not remember the details.What I do recall,is that it took months,from start to finish! Various excuses,"manager not in" and so on. I too,got the distinct feeling,that asking for my deposit back,was a most unusual thing.My guess was,that they never "filed" it,but instead used it for their own purpose.Shame om me to think something like that;whenever did something like that happen in this country?! Anyway,to cut the story short(er);I finally got the money! Probably because I bored them to death with my many visits and I am convinced,that the manager finally put up the money from his own pocket,just to get rid of me!!

[cmbe]

I waited a few hours for deposit refund, after 2 years didn't find the receipt.

[khwaibah]

Sold our house awhile back. My wife and the new owner went to the EC and the new owner was put on the bill my wife was taken off and the new owner gave my wife the deposit in which the new owner let the original deposit stay on the books. Simple. This was the same thing done with Truevision.

[ramrod711]

Sold our house awhile back. My wife and the new owner went to the EC and the new owner was put on the bill my wife was taken off and the new owner gave my wife the deposit in which the new owner let the original deposit stay on the books. Simple. This was the same thing done with Truevision.

efficiently done, but of course it required a modicum of common sense.......which is not so common here.

[SwaziBird]

Hello Bosse137,

Yes I did walk out with mt refunds...and I guess that after your report and those of the other contributors to this discussion, I should count myself as being very, very lucky.

Cheers.