Emergency Plan Ready For Thailand's April Power Crisis

[Thai at Heart]

About 200 representatives of industrial estates and government agencies will join the meeting to get a clear picture of the energy situation on April 5-14... It takes about 200 people to get the details? How many Thais does it take to change a light bulb? Oh that is so relevant this time...

Is this why I can't get hold of any of my clients today? Everyone "bpai teeaow"?

[Billmont]

Would have made sense to do this "routine maintenance" in January, no? Bit cooller then.

I think you will find that the maintenance is in Myanmar and reduces the gas supply to Thailand and therefore beyond Thailands control

[khunken]

I hope I'm wrong but this is shaping up just like the floods in 2011.

Every Tom, Dick & Harry must have their say, no real head who knows what he/she is doing, panic one day, false alarm the next.

All we need now is Plodprasop to start issuing crazy 'plans'.

Great opportunity for the PTP to slip an 'amnesty' or two under the radar. (It was a passport last time)

[Thai at Heart]

I hope I'm wrong but this is shaping up just like the floods in 2011.

Every Tom, Dick & Harry must have their say, no real head who knows what he/she is doing, panic one day, false alarm the next.

All we need now is Plodprasop to start issuing crazy 'plans'.

Great opportunity for the PTP to slip an 'amnesty' or two under the radar. (It was a passport last time)

It does smack of that doesn't it.

[BrianCR]

Step 9 in the contingency plan is to hand out free candles to all people who vote for the "right" party

[Pimay1]

Step 9 in the contingency plan is to hand out free candles to all people who vote for the "right" party

Shouldn't be a problem here in Udon. Just que up.

[waterdog]

Perhaps this question has been asked and answered already but if so I've missed it.

There is plenty of natural gas on the world market. Why can Thailand, or the power companies, not purchase it elsewhere to make up for the shortfall from Myanmar?

[h90]

Step 9 in the contingency plan is to hand out free candles to all people who vote for the "right" party

To half of the people who vote for the "right" party. Because the money for the other half disappeared.

[lavender19]

Just talking the usual b-llox to save one of their two faces.

I have 5 large freezers full of food.

Are they going to compensate me when the power cuts hit for hours and spoil all my stock?

[zydeco]

Oh, so the big plan is to cut power to those of us in the suburbs in order for central Bangkok to swim along without any inconvenience at all. Gee, sort of sounds like the flood plan. At least this time, I know to knock down the thermostat to the teens in the morning in order to keep the house cool during the afternoon cut off. Sort of defeats the energy saving plan, doesn't it, geniuses?

[OzMick]

They (that would be the 1000-boat folks, no doubt) are working on a motorbike version because there doesn't seem to be enough bicycles in Thailand for this to be practical.

bicycle_generator.jpeg

The company where i worked had a bicycle generator set up similar to that in their PR room. 1 kW is achievable on a short burst, but you would have to be very fit to sustain it for any time.

BTW you could save some effort if your system had an inverter and rectifier removed and you used a car charger to charge directly from the battery.

What did use it for? Primarily exercise? Or was it a 'developing nation' version of a SUPS (Sort-of Un-interruptible Power Supply)?

Speaking of UPS, get yours now if you're not running a laptop or have an A/C external drive. Mine has saved my drive a few times with the flakey power where I am. The short-duration outages were probably the result of a sloppy shift-change on the bicycle.

One could spin an alternator, but it would have to be without variation or there would be frequency and voltage fluctuations. Even a car alternator simply charges the battery which provides a stable 12 VDC (when the engine is not being started). Come to think of it, the generator in the drawing should be (or is) an alternator for practical reasons and it should be powering a 12 VDC charger rather than just being rectified with a diode.

I have a Yamaha ES 1000, a 1KW gas-powered A/C generator and it uses a sophisticated rotating component, but still has a regulated inverter for output to compensate of load-induced engine speed variations.

Bike was part of a Public Relations display for a generating company, to give the rubes some idea of quantities of power involved with 4 x 660MW units. I have a UPS for my Kray laptop - power surges here, especially from lightning strikes, are a killer - a friend lost 2 TVs in ten days.

[MEL1]

The Eight steps of the plan:

1. We admitted we were powerless over ELECTRICITY supplies - that our lives had become unmanageable, and we relied heavily upon our own wrongdoings. (PTP)

2. Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (EGAT)

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Chalerm, as we understood Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves, and found we are doing nothing wrong. (EGAT is, however)

5. Admitted to Chalerm, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs, simply taking back-handers, as opposed to planning ahead.

6. Were entirely ready to have Chalerm remove all these defects of character. Albeit, Chalerm has so much electricity up his back-sleeve, we are not sure.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings, which he did with Grace BE TO Himself, and for all mankind of Thailand. (Sure!)

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. However, we could find nobody to list.

-mel.

[rubl]

Oh, so the big plan is to cut power to those of us in the suburbs in order for central Bangkok to swim along without any inconvenience at all. Gee, sort of sounds like the flood plan. At least this time, I know to knock down the thermostat to the teens in the morning in order to keep the house cool during the afternoon cut off. Sort of defeats the energy saving plan, doesn't it, geniuses?

As one poster mentioned in a related topic, luckily the government has already done a lot so people in parts of the country are used to go without electricity for two, three days. I guess it's part of the 'kick off from the soap watching habit' program.

[rubl]

Perhaps this question has been asked and answered already but if so I've missed it.

There is plenty of natural gas on the world market. Why can Thailand, or the power companies, not purchase it elsewhere to make up for the shortfall from Myanmar?

Short term contracts are expensive, the natural gas needs to be of about the same mixture as what's used now, transport needs to be available (think LNG tankers), storage for the gas (at an easy location), etc., etc.

Mind you, not my field of expertise, I probably missed a few really relevant reasons

[Sunderland]

It's a safe bet that the water management plan will have gotten mixed up with the electricity management plan. That being the case, I suggest wearing rubber wellies, staying clear of all water and not touching anything electrical between 5-14 April. To be safer evacuate Thailand until after the rainy season. Should be OK from December 2013 through to March 2014 if you fancy popping back in for a visit.

Yours decisively,

Watchaya Lookinad (Minister of Hubs and Hiccups)

[Ian Curtis]

The peak hours are between 2pm and 5pm in Thailand?

I thought that was when everyone switches off.

And go to sleep - ah - silly me - I forgot the TV will be on!

[overherebc]

How about, if there isn't really a problem but we convince everyone there will be, then when we don't have a problem we can say we solved it.

[Locationthailand]

What a stupid wasted article when the comment comes up ... "He did not elaborate on details of the eight steps". In other words another BS political statement to try to fool the public this clown actually has something. Ever heard of 'transparency' and what possible reason could he have for withholding information when it requires the public's participation? Dipstick...

Edited February 26, 2013 by Locationthailand

[rubl]

What a stupid wasted article when the comment comes up ... "He did not elaborate on details of the eight steps". In other words another BS political statement to try to fool the public this clown actually has something. Ever heard of 'transparency' and what possible reason could he have for withholding information when it requires the public's participation? Dipstick...

To be fair, as you and others look through the steps, one may call those very transparent, wouldn't you agree

[lemoncake]

call me crazy, but would not it be better to do the black out at night?

2pm-5pm is the hottest time of the day, not exactly the most appropriate time.

[rubl]

call me crazy, but would not it be better to do the black out at night?

2pm-5pm is the hottest time of the day, not exactly the most appropriate time.

Turning off power during the hottest period of the day saves the most. Pure logic, someone to be commended for thinking of this.

On the plus side we will surely see a really surging economy in May, compared to April that is

[h90]

rubl, on 26 Feb 2013 - 20:45, said:

waterdog, on 26 Feb 2013 - 17:14, said:

Perhaps this question has been asked and answered already but if so I've missed it.

There is plenty of natural gas on the world market. Why can Thailand, or the power companies, not purchase it elsewhere to make up for the shortfall from Myanmar?

Short term contracts are expensive, the natural gas needs to be of about the same mixture as what's used now, transport needs to be available (think LNG tankers), storage for the gas (at an easy location), etc., etc.

Mind you, not my field of expertise, I probably missed a few really relevant reasons

Well if Myanmar is servicing the fields every April for the last decade it is not that "short" term. Beside that electric outage isn't cheap for the industry and they don't need to supply the full amount on expensive contracts, just enough to have the difference between a few shortages and just enough.

Beside they could also buy electric....

[lemoncake]

call me crazy, but would not it be better to do the black out at night?

2pm-5pm is the hottest time of the day, not exactly the most appropriate time.

Turning off power during the hottest period of the day saves the most. Pure logic, someone to be commended for thinking of this.

On the plus side we will surely see a really surging economy in May, compared to April that is

Yes it does save the most but also affects most people and most businesses.

Can do the black outs at night for double the time in a number of regions at the same time to compensate, but blacking shopping mall out in the middle of the day is not exactly the brightest idea in my opinion, not to mention banks, hotels and so on

[rubl]

rubl, on 26 Feb 2013 - 20:45, said:

waterdog, on 26 Feb 2013 - 17:14, said:

Perhaps this question has been asked and answered already but if so I've missed it.

There is plenty of natural gas on the world market. Why can Thailand, or the power companies, not purchase it elsewhere to make up for the shortfall from Myanmar?

Short term contracts are expensive, the natural gas needs to be of about the same mixture as what's used now, transport needs to be available (think LNG tankers), storage for the gas (at an easy location), etc., etc.

Mind you, not my field of expertise, I probably missed a few really relevant reasons

Well if Myanmar is servicing the fields every April for the last decade it is not that "short" term. Beside that electric outage isn't cheap for the industry and they don't need to supply the full amount on expensive contracts, just enough to have the difference between a few shortages and just enough.

Beside they could also buy electric....

Oh, you mean planning for events! I have been in Thailand too long it seems

BTW buy electricity may not be an option. I do not know if the powergrid of Thailand is coupled with any of those of neighbouring countries.

[surangw]

the real plan

wait and see

[rubl]

call me crazy, but would not it be better to do the black out at night?

2pm-5pm is the hottest time of the day, not exactly the most appropriate time.

Turning off power during the hottest period of the day saves the most. Pure logic, someone to be commended for thinking of this.

On the plus side we will surely see a really surging economy in May, compared to April that is

Yes it does save the most but also affects most people and most businesses.

Can do the black outs at night for double the time in a number of regions at the same time to compensate, but blacking shopping mall out in the middle of the day is not exactly the brightest idea in my opinion, not to mention banks, hotels and so on

The 'save the most' was a bit tongue-in-cheek. Mind you, I'm not sure what the best period for a (partial) blackout would be if there is such a thing.

One for sure though, many Thais like to go (window)shopping in malls because of the (extreme) low temperature inside. Now that's where a lot of electricity could be saved

[OzMick]

rubl, on 26 Feb 2013 - 20:45, said:

waterdog, on 26 Feb 2013 - 17:14, said:

Perhaps this question has been asked and answered already but if so I've missed it.

There is plenty of natural gas on the world market. Why can Thailand, or the power companies, not purchase it elsewhere to make up for the shortfall from Myanmar?

Short term contracts are expensive, the natural gas needs to be of about the same mixture as what's used now, transport needs to be available (think LNG tankers), storage for the gas (at an easy location), etc., etc.

Mind you, not my field of expertise, I probably missed a few really relevant reasons

Well if Myanmar is servicing the fields every April for the last decade it is not that "short" term. Beside that electric outage isn't cheap for the industry and they don't need to supply the full amount on expensive contracts, just enough to have the difference between a few shortages and just enough.

Beside they could also buy electric....

Oh, you mean planning for events! I have been in Thailand too long it seems

BTW buy electricity may not be an option. I do not know if the powergrid of Thailand is coupled with any of those of neighbouring countries.

Definitely linked to Malaysia and Laos. Other thread reported increased purchases from Malaysia for the period.

If that bloody dam on the Mekong was finished, half the problem would be solved.

[xen]

call me crazy, but would not it be better to do the black out at night?

2pm-5pm is the hottest time of the day, not exactly the most appropriate time.

If the black out is at night , that is the time most of the financial institutions do their international transfers and book keeping . We wouldn't want to disrupt that would we?

[Scott]

Power supplies are not simple to manage. The peak demand period is important because that is when the most power must be generated. These large generating plants take a lot of time and fuel to get them going and once operating a shut down is not immediate. If the country does not have the fuel supplies for the peak, then it will have to have blackouts. If the amount of electricity can be reduced during the peak demand period, then it might not have to add additional generators and blackouts can be prevented.

I would suggest that one of the things is that everyone, especially businesses should have their AC cleaned and operating efficiently. Maintenance will go a long way during the critical time.

[hhiser]

Here it is. They will issue 1 of these to every household!