MrEnigma Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I am currently in the U K, whislt my misses is in Thailand . The water gets paid by direct debit. However today they came around and took meter away. I have my account on line, and can see that last month's was paid on the 25th. With the mobile app I can only go back 1 month , so it's possible that a payment was missed previously, but if so surely the DD would have been cancelled by one party? Any other reason as to why the meter would be taken away ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post David48 Posted August 20, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted August 20, 2014 Stolen? Good scrap metal value in those meters. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 How much is the Mrs water company asking for, to put it back? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurwait Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Well if the water meter was taken just open the pipe and let it run until they put it back. Water meter taken. Has the buffalo died ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Thought meters were encased in cement.? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketsub Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Surprised you can check your water bills and pay on-line. I have never been in a situation anything near like that anywhere I have lived in Thailand. Straying off topic perhaps, but here I go: Where I live, in my in-laws complex with no indoor plumbing, they think you can "trick" a flowmeter by filling up the ong by trickle, as if the passing water will somehow go unnoticed. My degree is in hydrology and I don't remember hearing anything about this in all my years of study. Just wondering if this is a commonly held belief or just something in my hood... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96tehtarp Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Maybe you have been paying for someone else's water all along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickstart Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Stolen? Good scrap metal value in those meters. David could be right,Thai TV often has a piece on stolen water meaters, I remember one guy had his stolen twice,if you see one in a steel/brick/concrete,box that is the reason,preventin a thief,at about 350 bart each,for some Thai's that is expencive. First time I have herd of water being paid by direct debit, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 David could be right,Thai TV often has a piece on stolen water meaters, I remember one guy had his stolen twice,if you see one in a steel/brick/concrete,box that is the reason,preventin a thief,at about 350 bart each,for some Thai's that is expencive. First time I have herd of water being paid by direct debit, I always thought that the steel/brick/concrete box was to protect the meters from damage by Thai women unlicensed car drivers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seastallion Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) I didn't know you can DD your Thai water bill. When setting up the DD....who provided you the water company bank account number? Your GF by any chance? While we're at it.....what has been your average monthly water bill? Edited August 20, 2014 by Seastallion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lopburi3 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 We have paid DD from bank account for decades here in Bangkok - just as electric and phone bills - very normal to do so. But monthly bill is also provided to mail box. The metal water meters are also a prime theft item and they are not encased in anything unless you do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Just a heads up on the fees to reconnect The houses around my area are 1/2inch diameter, so would me 300baht plus VAT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEnigma Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Yeah it's going to cost 300baht, not really an issue, had to replace before when meter was taken away due to unpaid bill. (Tenant from rental property did not pay) BTW we live on a estate with manned security . Will find out tomorrow exactly what happened. Yes the bill is paid DD, and yes we get Bill advice in letterbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Good to hear you've got it all under control MrEnigma Was worried that you was a newbie Knight here and the Queen was breaking down your defense after giving your Bishop a good bashing. http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/745343-looking-for-chess-players/#entry8153833 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhamBam Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I was 10 days late (after the bill was due) in coming back to the house I rented . Water meter removed that morning. Sent a m/c taxi to pay the bill. Meter re-installed next day for 300 Baht. It does not take them long to remove one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJP Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Surprised you can check your water bills and pay on-line. I have never been in a situation anything near like that anywhere I have lived in Thailand. Straying off topic perhaps, but here I go: Where I live, in my in-laws complex with no indoor plumbing, they think you can "trick" a flowmeter by filling up the ong by trickle, as if the passing water will somehow go unnoticed. My degree is in hydrology and I don't remember hearing anything about this in all my years of study. Just wondering if this is a commonly held belief or just something in my hood... Could be the meter needs a minumum flow to register measurement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornishcarlos Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 300 baht , is that for re connection of existing contract only ? We just had a meter put in on a new piece of land, cost 9000 baht !! That was 4000 for the meter plus installation ( digging down to water main and connection etc ). The other 5000 was a deposit, refundable allegedly Not sure why we would ever take the meter back and get refunded though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daffy D Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Surprised you can check your water bills and pay on-line. I have never been in a situation anything near like that anywhere I have lived in Thailand. Straying off topic perhaps, but here I go: Where I live, in my in-laws complex with no indoor plumbing, they think you can "trick" a flowmeter by filling up the ong by trickle, as if the passing water will somehow go unnoticed. My degree is in hydrology and I don't remember hearing anything about this in all my years of study. Just wondering if this is a commonly held belief or just something in my hood... I believe this used to be common practice years ago but the authorities got wise and upgraded the meters and I don't think it works anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h90 Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 We forgot once and when they come to take the meter, you can still pay them cash..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaipod Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Normally they give you notice that the service will be suspended. We've had our meter stolen twice by scrap metal thieves, and now I've poured concrete around it. It's still there after several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seastallion Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Surprised you can check your water bills and pay on-line. I have never been in a situation anything near like that anywhere I have lived in Thailand. Straying off topic perhaps, but here I go: Where I live, in my in-laws complex with no indoor plumbing, they think you can "trick" a flowmeter by filling up the ong by trickle, as if the passing water will somehow go unnoticed. My degree is in hydrology and I don't remember hearing anything about this in all my years of study. Just wondering if this is a commonly held belief or just something in my hood... MJP and daffy D proposed credible replies...but, what I want to know is....if it works, isn't it stealing? Not a serious question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apetley Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Stolen? Good scrap metal value in those meters. When our meter was stolen the local police said the going rate was one yaabaa tablet. Where we live first meter is replaced free but if stolen a second time has to be paid for. A surprise bonus is that the replacement meter turns slower than the stolen one so our water bills have halved :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thaibeachlovers Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Well if the water meter was taken just open the pipe and let it run until they put it back. Water meter taken. Has the buffalo died ? Yeah, dead easy to connect the two ends and get free water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEnigma Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 UPDATE Mrs spoke to water company, 'they' tried to say meter had been stolen. Our neighbour said she saw the water company 'engineer' take the meter. Their response was oh the engineer went to the wrong house! Just glad I have good Thai neighbours, married to good fralang. Mrs has taken picture of the site where meter was. Now on to my compensation claim. ☺ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuketsub Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Surprised you can check your water bills and pay on-line. I have never been in a situation anything near like that anywhere I have lived in Thailand. Straying off topic perhaps, but here I go: Where I live, in my in-laws complex with no indoor plumbing, they think you can "trick" a flowmeter by filling up the ong by trickle, as if the passing water will somehow go unnoticed. My degree is in hydrology and I don't remember hearing anything about this in all my years of study. Just wondering if this is a commonly held belief or just something in my hood... Could be the meter needs a minumum flow to register measurement. Could be, and in fact that must be true at the tiniest of flow rates, but I tend to think not in this day and age they will be able to meter a trickle, even if it is not discernible to the human eye. For me, the inlaws holding this sort of belief with no empirical evidence whatsoever is a good opportunity to teach my daughter something about science, when she is constantly bombarded by retarded superstition. This can be tested very easily, and I intend to do so. The part I hate most about the 'trickle down' theory is that every time I go to one of the taps the ong is full and overflowing; I am sure the waste is a tiny fraction of what is wasted in the municipal supply system, but it irks me that any water is being wasted over a miserly bid to save a few baht based on a belief that has no proven basis in fact. I was tempted to challenge my mother in law to somehow prove that time had stopped being measured because you can't observe the motion on the minute and second hands on the family clock (the second hand of which is, conveniently, broken)... I will report back my findings. btw, thanks for the PMs confirming that this belief is held nationwide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boycie Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Could be the meter needs a minumum flow to register measurement. A slight drip on a tap gets registered by the meter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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