If the extent of damage here really is a nation wide two hour power cut, I just do not see what the drama is. All each province has to do is establish what is totally necessary and chop everything else. I had cause to spend the weekend in hospital as my wife was extremely sick. During my stay in the room I witnessed the hospital cut power to all departments and provide generator power to essential areas. Whilst that was ongoing, electricians and maintenance guys ran around the entire hospital and checked every single plug socket and power outlet and put a coloured sticker on the wall next to the socket which indicated the status of the socket during the 'power cut'. I asked the nurse what was going on and she said they were just making sure that they were going to be in an operational condition should there be any power cuts in April. Impressed? Hell.......I could not believe I was sat in Thailand for a while, big thumbs up, I was pleasantly speechless!

Power cuts would be on an area by area basis when generating capacity is not sufficient to meet demand. A nation wide power cut is a very serious event indeed, because many (and most more modern) generating plants are not equipped for a "black start."

I worked at only one station with this capability, 15MW units where the chain grate could be operated and hydraulics pumped by hand - and it has been scrapped decades ago. More modern units with electronic control, even those with back-up diesel gennies, are simply incapable of black start. New York had a total system failure some years back and required the connection of navy ships to provide sufficient power to restart the system.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_start

It's ok, cos since then Thailand has become an hub.

They have been practising here in the sticks where I live for years. 2 to 4 hour blackouts almost everyday. Always at the most inconvenient time, at night soaped up in the shower. No power, no water and the flashlight is in the bedroom!

When I 1st started living here. It went of for 4 days. A transformer blew up in the middle of nowhere. Took down 4 provinces. The dragged 1 in using elephants if you can believe that.

Thanks to the Phu Horm onshore gas field near Nam Phong, the northern Isaan area is not dependent upon Myanmar for gas to run the local power plant. Just for us rubes.

Edited March 10, 201313 yr by JLCrab

Thanks to the Phu Horm onshore gas field near Nam Phong, the northern Isaan area is not dependent upon Myanmar for gas to run the local power plant. Just for us rubes.

Unless the northern Isaan area is a separate grid (not connected to the national grid), that your local power station is at full output will be of little consequence. System control will decide when/where/if blackouts will occur.

I have no idea where they might choose to divert the power output of the 710 MW EGAT power plant at Nam Phong. All I said was the gas was in the ground right here and not dependent upon supplies from Myanmar.

Power diversion also becomes a political decision: If EGAT diverts too much power from the local grid, they might find their water supply for the plant shut off or some such retribution.

Edited March 10, 201313 yr by JLCrab

Had a 3 hour blackout yesterday already, here at the Payboy mansion.

Thanks to the Phu Horm onshore gas field near Nam Phong, the northern Isaan area is not dependent upon Myanmar for gas to run the local power plant. Just for us rubes.

Unless the northern Isaan area is a separate grid (not connected to the national grid), that your local power station is at full output will be of little consequence. System control will decide when/where/if blackouts will occur.

Power outage would business as usual here in Udon. Nothing new.

Thanks to the Phu Horm onshore gas field near Nam Phong, the northern Isaan area is not dependent upon Myanmar for gas to run the local power plant. Just for us rubes.

Unless the northern Isaan area is a separate grid (not connected to the national grid), that your local power station is at full output will be of little consequence. System control will decide when/where/if blackouts will occur.

Power outage would business as usual here in Udon. Nothing new.

I've bought an LED light/battery unit which stays on AC charge, then cuts in automatically during a blackout. Of course, the cheap battery died after 12 months, so I rewired it to a bike battery. Even during the Samui Big Blackout we had light enough to gas cook, eat, dipper bathe, and only had to rotate the battery with the one in the Wave once.

When I 1st started living here. It went of for 4 days. A transformer blew up in the middle of nowhere. Took down 4 provinces. The dragged 1 in using elephants if you can believe that.

OIC so you arrived last week then

FYI i was in Asia Airport Hotel on the 26th last month also power off for 2 hours then Rangsit 1 hour later

Edited March 10, 201313 yr by sjjmmi

close all shopping malls during the whole day on the 5th April would be a better option. I am sure people can survive without going to any malls for one day.

That's a good idea but opposite of growth based economy scriptures. Better to have private individuals go to the malls to escape the black out. In fact I bet it's a mandate to protect business in this manner.

.

Toyota are doing their bit to save electricity

http://thai.vi/12S2ftl

April 5 is a Friday. I'll probably be in all day that day. Which means, up early, use all electricity as soon as possible. Push the control on the a/c down to around 17 or 18 so that when the blackout comes, I can at least be comfortable for a while during the heat.

If the extent of damage here really is a nation wide two hour power cut, I just do not see what the drama is. All each province has to do is establish what is totally necessary and chop everything else. I had cause to spend the weekend in hospital as my wife was extremely sick. During my stay in the room I witnessed the hospital cut power to all departments and provide generator power to essential areas. Whilst that was ongoing, electricians and maintenance guys ran around the entire hospital and checked every single plug socket and power outlet and put a coloured sticker on the wall next to the socket which indicated the status of the socket during the 'power cut'. I asked the nurse what was going on and she said they were just making sure that they were going to be in an operational condition should there be any power cuts in April. Impressed? Hell.......I could not believe I was sat in Thailand for a while, big thumbs up, I was pleasantly speechless!

easy what they will do...cut Isaan and the outer areas of Bangkok (hint hint West), keep the factories supplied (which makes sense) and the rich in the center.

Just look what they did during the floods.

Nord/Nordeast (also South) can be under water for month....not even much in the TV, just farmer who die. Not worth to spend a second of thinking.

Outer areas of Bangkok, qualify already as half humans, but can be scarified if there is the risk that there are 20 cm at a Shinawatra building.

Electric will be the same. Farmer areas count nothing, Democrat areas count little, factories count high, Shinawatra (and other big heads) properties will be OK.

Right on every single point. You and I both know that out where we are in Taweewatana, they are going to cut us for sure. Am already planning on it.