One of my pet hates is above ground cabling - including the 2 cables from the meter (on a pole in the street outside) to the outside wall of the house (via more poles in the garden depending on distance)...

Is there any particular reason (local regulations?) they never seem to use an underground armoured cable between the outside pole/meter and the fuse box in the house, or is it just a cost & "that's the way we've always done it" scenario?

yes simple : cost

Nothing to stop you using NYY http://www.bangkokcable.com/catalog/BCC_CATALOG/NYY2EN.HTML either naked (with tiles or concrete protection) or in PE conduit.

Cheaper than SWA.

So cost as I suspected and not an issue with PEA... great, thanks...

You simply have to ask PEA (or MEA) to install it the way you want.

Obviously it will mean extra expense (to you) which is why they do not usually offer the option.

Patrick

FYI: some PEA will not allow underground from the pole - they require overhead to your property and then do what you want.

FYI: some PEA will not allow underground from the pole - they require overhead to your property and then do what you want.

+1 ^^^

Our PEA will not permit aluminium cable underground, I have no idea if this is a national rule.

FYI: some PEA will not allow underground from the pole - they require overhead to your property and then do what you want.

By "property" I assume you mean the plot and not the house/structure, so it could come overhead to a pole inside the boundary wall, and jump to the house via underground cable from there?

FYI: some PEA will not allow underground from the pole - they require overhead to your property and then do what you want.

By "property" I assume you mean the plot and not the house/structure, so it could come overhead to a pole inside the boundary wall, and jump to the house via underground cable from there?

Right. That's what I had to do 10 years ago. But, getting things straight with your local PEA is best.