Competent Electricians

[AllyB]

Are there any competent electricians near Sri Thep in Petchabun province?. Are there any, anywhere, who are? I can pay for travel & overnight stays in hotels.

[Torrens54]

Competent Electricians in Thailand?

Haven't found one yet.

If you find even ONE, please let me know. Like you, I'd be prepared to foot the bill for bring one into Chiang Mai as the ones we've been forced to deal with have been hopeless to the point that I'm surprised they haven't "gone up in smoke" due to their total disregard for safety.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Torrens54

[wayned]

What are you building?

[AllyB]

I have built a house, one consumer unit for ground floor & outside, another for upper floor, both RCB. Contractor who did the house was fine (don't know their name, wish I had). An uncle did the outside lighting which after a while kept tripping the RCB, and after another while (and a family spat) it was "solved" by another different uncle. Turns out he bypassed the RCBs and the unseen wiring from the first uncle was flex rather than cable which overheated, partially melted the insulation and shorted when high humidity in the air. Recently had some air con guys to fit a unit using wiring left by the original contractor but they noted that the circuit has been compromised, even deliberately causing a short doesn't trip the RCB. I have been in contact with my original main/foreman engineer who has now contacted the original electricians, waiting for them due today. The lesson I've learned is to watch very carefully any work done by family members who are supposedly jobbing electricians, plumbers, builders etc. From reading other posts, this is a lesson I should have learned from reading rather than my own direct experience. So, this is now posted as an example for others to avoid.

Thanks everybody for the symathetic sentiments

[Kwasaki]

I have built a house, one consumer unit for ground floor & outside, another for upper floor, both RCB. Contractor who did the house was fine (don't know their name, wish I had). An uncle did the outside lighting which after a while kept tripping the RCB, and after another while (and a family spat) it was "solved" by another different uncle. Turns out he bypassed the RCBs and the unseen wiring from the first uncle was flex rather than cable which overheated, partially melted the insulation and shorted when high humidity in the air. Recently had some air con guys to fit a unit using wiring left by the original contractor but they noted that the circuit has been compromised, even deliberately causing a short doesn't trip the RCB. I have been in contact with my original main/foreman engineer who has now contacted the original electricians, waiting for them due today. The lesson I've learned is to watch very carefully any work done by family members who are supposedly jobbing electricians, plumbers, builders etc. From reading other posts, this is a lesson I should have learned from reading rather than my own direct experience. So, this is now posted as an example for others to avoid.

Thanks everybody for the symathetic sentiments

It's a bit lame on this forum go to DIY housing forum, guys that live in your area should be able to help you, sounds like you just using the wrong people.

[nevets]

NO such person in Thailand unless they are Falang and good if they come from England the best wiring rules in the world.

[NickJ]

Thailand translates Electrician as the same as Magician...as electricity is a magical force.....and there appretices are welders on the side, welders that scoff at saftey and use fake raybans in place of welders googles.....

[wayned]

NO such person in Thailand unless they are Falang and good if they come from England the best wiring rules in the world.

So what you are saying is that a licensed residential electrician from the US, who aqlso is a licensed plumber and contractor doesn't have a clue since they are not British! What a crock!

Edited April 15, 2015 by wayned

[fredob43]

NO such person in Thailand unless they are Falang and good if they come from England the best wiring rules in the world.

So what you are saying is that a licensed residential electrician from the US, who aqlso is a licensed plumber and contractor doesn't have a clue since they are not British! What a crock!

Please allow me to point out Wayne that us Brits do have some of the best wiring in the world none of this low power stuff here or stakes in the ground for earths.

Must admit though that even you Americans are better than the average Thai.

I do feel for the OP workmen here are at best rubbish.

The first thing I did when we got the house was change all the electric. Had to make a trip to Blighty brought back L/M (Top make) British fitting did it all myself never have problems now.

Well except that the Thais who have fitted new air cons: haven't a clue how to wire them up, they still look for a bit of wire that they can join onto finishing with a connector strip and some black tape.

I don't know about Petchabun but there must be a good electrical shop there, ask if they have any good electricians that they can recommend.

[wayned]

Many of the PEA guys moonlight and at least they know a little bit as they are still here!

[Kwasaki]

Many of the PEA guys moonlight and at least they know a little bit as they are still here!

Yea like my previous post if OP goes DIY forum I am sure he will get a positive reply, without the Thai bashing.

[fredob43]

Many of the PEA guys moonlight and at least they know a little bit as they are still here!

Yea like my previous post if OP goes DIY forum I am sure he will get a positive reply, without the Thai bashing.

Sorry to say at times they do need a bashing.

Example, the last Thai I had do any wiring for me was a very nice chap that fitted the new electric motor on the front gate.

Had to change lots of S/Steel (very good job) I offered through my wife to do the electric reply Farang cant do wiring only a Thai, seems all to do so he said with the guarantee. I let him get on with it he even put in the new electric box an outside socket very handy.

All worked fine until it rained then the circuit breaker tripped.

On closer inspection I found that he has cut through a pipe that I had put the previous power wire through (That had never had a problem in over 5 years) chaffed the wire water got in and caused a short circuit.

He did come back a told me that there was a problem with the wire I had fitted.

Enough was enough I set to work laid more pipe re-fed the original wire through and low and behold it worked fine.

It was then I looked into the new wiring he had done.

What did I find well all the wires 'several' had been just wound together topped with the dreaded Thai Black tape.

All now sorted with soldered joints covered in water proof plastic shrink rap.

Wonder who did that???

Edited April 16, 2015 by fredob43

[Kwasaki]

Many of the PEA guys moonlight and at least they know a little bit as they are still here!

Yea like my previous post if OP goes DIY forum I am sure he will get a positive reply, without the Thai bashing.

Sorry to say at times they do need a bashing.

Example, the last Thai I had do any wiring for me was a very nice chap that fitted the new electric motor on the front gate.

Had to change lots of S/Steel (very good job) I offered through my wife to do the electric reply Farang cant do wiring only a Thai, seems all to do so he said with the guarantee. I let him get on with it he even put in the new electric box an outside socket very handy.

All worked fine until it rained then the circuit breaker tripped.

On closer inspection I found that he has cut through a pipe that I had put the previous power wire through (That had never had a problem in over 5 years) chaffed the wire water got in and caused a short circuit.

He did come back a told me that there was a problem with the wire I had fitted.

Enough was enough I set to work laid more pipe re-fed the original wire through and low and behold it worked fine.

It was then I looked into the new wiring he had done.

What did I find well all the wires 'several' had been just wound together topped with the dreaded Thai Black tape.

All now sorted with soldered joints covered in water proof plastic shrink rap.

Wonder who did that???

Fair call Fred I was just trying to say that there are good Thai Sparkies and if you can find one they do a good job all be to Thai standard but improvements can be may quite easily as I & you have done although I relies some people struggle to get to the standards they want.

[fredob43]

Many of the PEA guys moonlight and at least they know a little bit as they are still here!

Yea like my previous post if OP goes DIY forum I am sure he will get a positive reply, without the Thai bashing.

Sorry to say at times they do need a bashing.

Example, the last Thai I had do any wiring for me was a very nice chap that fitted the new electric motor on the front gate.

Had to change lots of S/Steel (very good job) I offered through my wife to do the electric reply Farang cant do wiring only a Thai, seems all to do so he said with the guarantee. I let him get on with it he even put in the new electric box an outside socket very handy.

All worked fine until it rained then the circuit breaker tripped.

On closer inspection I found that he has cut through a pipe that I had put the previous power wire through (That had never had a problem in over 5 years) chaffed the wire water got in and caused a short circuit.

He did come back a told me that there was a problem with the wire I had fitted.

Enough was enough I set to work laid more pipe re-fed the original wire through and low and behold it worked fine.

It was then I looked into the new wiring he had done.

What did I find well all the wires 'several' had been just wound together topped with the dreaded Thai Black tape.

All now sorted with soldered joints covered in water proof plastic shrink rap.

Wonder who did that???

Fair call Fred I was just trying to say that there are good Thai Sparkies and if you can find one they do a good job all be to Thai standard but improvements can be may quite easily as I & you have done although I relies some people struggle to get to the standards they want.

After I got the English connectors I took one into my local electrical shop and ask if he could get same.

Reply he had seen them on the internet but not available in Thailand.

Just to round off he said nothing wrong with connector strip and black tape everyone uses.

Had to explain why our ones had an earth connector.

He did seem very impressed that you could earth or power everything separately or in a ring.

Seems while you may find a good sparks here they will still fall down on their use of what's available. The dreaded Black tape for one.

[JaiLai]

99% of Thai construction workers are a waste of time.

Without fail they will take the easiest / cheapest option available, it's impossible to find the same quality tradesmen as home.

Unfortunately I know little about construction otherwise I'd have fine everything myself, watching this lot work is painful!