Now for something completely different ! Complain of cause

[bubblegum]

Jet ski, taxi, land office, police,vendors and so on, and so on...

We all complain a lot BUT

I am really, really fed up !!! with the provincial electric company !

They are for sure the worse in the world. Yes even fot Thai standards they suck in Phuket and I'm wondering just how much money it is costing all businesses

to reboot. re-install. re try the computer services. I wonder how many TV's die because of it, I wonder how many traders (internet) lose money because of it.

I think they should start a accountancy/bill collecting firm (because they're good at that) and have some others take care of our flow of electric !

Or is this only a daily occurrence in Rawai?

[LivinginKata]

I remember I bought (yes - only a 30 year lease) a place on Nanai Road almost 19 years ago. Brown outs were just accepted, maybe a couple of times a month. Now all these years later I don't see all that much improvement, it's no longer brown outs, more like no power when a local transformer fuse has blown (big bang) and we wait for the little orange power company truck to show up after a couple of hours and everyone gives a big cheers when the power goes back on. I guess all us long stay people know this. Easy to realise why it's really gotten worse, huge increase in buildings, with no planning for infrastructures like power, water, sewage.

Same out in Kata when we moved there, all day scheduled power outs from 09.00 - 17.00 for improvements to high voltage lines from Chaofa sub station. Much caused by the new substation right on our doorstep in Kata. Substation completed last year, really not much improvement to our power outages, just routine problem.

Rant over ...

[Shot]

Many improvement in Kamala over the past 3-4 years. Orange truck guys are quick and efficient IMHO.

[NE1]

Was just on about this to the wife yesterday , we get a power cut every day without fail . ( Never got any while Mr. T was in office )

Sometimes it is a little blip , other times like yesterday 30 mins , up to a couple of hours.

I don't understand the power supply to much , but it is like we have an allocated amount of electricity allotted to our area , now new houses etc have been built over the last 5 years

and we still only have the same amount of electricity allotted even though we are using 30% more .

[LivinginKata]

Many improvement in Kamala over the past 3-4 years. Orange truck guys are quick and efficient IMHO.

Exactly, the orange truck guys are not the problem, it's the blown fuses that are the problem, as in far too many user using too many amps for the capacity of that transformer, just look at how many houses/apartment blocks piggy back onto a new transformer with no thought to how much drain they will take. No-one want to be the one to pay for a transformer in the local area. Everyone understates how much supply they will need. Oh - no aircons will be installed, sure trust me.

But I am glad that Shot acknowledges that the orange truck guys are necessary.

[hansgruber]

I ended up buying my own transformer and put it on my property at quite a huge expense for more stable power but now I'm told that I have to let new connections join to my transformer which I won't accept. Electric company has tried to enter my property and create a new connection and even a threat of being sued by a developer for not allowing him to join his power to my transformer.

Warning to all. If you buy your own and on your property you can't stop PEA creating a new connection off it.

I've asked the developer to put in towards the cost of the transformer but he expects to join for free so he will need to drag me to court to connect his power to mine.

Edited February 24, 2015 by hansgruber

[LivinginKata]

I ended up buying my own transformer and put it on my property at quite a huge expense for more stable power but now I'm told that I have to let new connections join to my transformer which I won't accept. Electric company has tried to enter my property and create a new connection and even a threat of being sued by a developer for not allowing him to join his power to my transformer.

Warning to all. If you buy your own and on your property you can't stop PEA creating a new connection off it.

I've asked the developer to put in towards the cost of the transformer but he expects to join for free so he will need to drag me to court to connect his power to mine.

Interesting - I was always under the impression that if your pole/transformer was on you own land then no-one could connect across your private land. I would take legal advise on this.

That's why we stepped our pole transformer in one meter from the road onto our (company) private land. On the other hand we will have to pay for repairs/a new transformer if our transformer fails. In 15 years we have one fuse blown by short circuit with a snake crawling over the fuse. We had to pay the electric co for the repair.

But despite our own transformer we are still subject to problems down steam from our line to the transformer. Overloads causing area problem, scheduled power down for maintenance, tree cutting, etc.

[hansgruber]

I ended up buying my own transformer and put it on my property at quite a huge expense for more stable power but now I'm told that I have to let new connections join to my transformer which I won't accept. Electric company has tried to enter my property and create a new connection and even a threat of being sued by a developer for not allowing him to join his power to my transformer.

Warning to all. If you buy your own and on your property you can't stop PEA creating a new connection off it.

I've asked the developer to put in towards the cost of the transformer but he expects to join for free so he will need to drag me to court to connect his power to mine.

Interesting - I was always under the impression that if your pole/transformer was on you own land then no-one could connect across your private land. I would take legal advise on this.

That's why we stepped our pole transformer in one meter from the road onto our (company) private land. On the other hand we will have to pay for repairs/a new transformer if our transformer fails. In 15 years we have one fuse blown by short circuit with a snake crawling over the fuse. We had to pay the electric co for the repair.

But despite our own transformer we are still subject to problems down steam from our line to the transformer. Overloads causing area problem, scheduled power down for maintenance, tree cutting, etc.

PEA have tried twice but can't get access to it without my permission to enter the land. I had it installed behind my wall.

I have a feeling the Thai developer is just trying to throw his weight around to avoid buying his own transformer and to avoid the disruptive one that blows about once a week that feeds many villas. PEA insist that I supposed to let new connections join but they won't be unless I get half the cash back or the transformer.

It was near 400k so if he comes with 200k, he can join.

[LivinginKata]

PEA have tried twice but can't get access to it without my permission to enter the land. I had it installed behind my wall.

I have a feeling the Thai developer is just trying to throw his weight around to avoid buying his own transformer and to avoid the disruptive one that blows about once a week that feeds many villas. PEA insist that I supposed to let new connections join but they won't be unless I get half the cash back or the transformer.

It was near 400k so if he comes with 200k, he can join.

When we (our company) bought the land we were promised electic and water supply provided by the developer. Never happened. we and our 2 neighbouring developers talking about sharing the cost of a transformer, cost of over 600K was quoted by electric co, the other 2 said no more about sharing. We were obviously the first to complete and they sort of assumed we would install the transformer and they would hook up for free. We installed the minimum cost option for our power demand and stepped it into our land. The other 2 were left scratching their heads and in the end bought their own larger transformer for their 2 multi-unit properties. I advised them to step into one of their lands, but they ignored my advise. Installed on the communal road. Instantly our Thai neighbours built many rental units and hooked onto their transformer and offered no compensation.

I laugh about all this. I suppose I paid for 8 poles and wires up to our house that my neighbours used to hook up to their transformer. But then the guys with the hotel at the bottom of our road paid for nearly 20 poles to get there. Then all the many developments about us hooked onto the HV line from my property. I tell all this to illuminate how chaotic and unplanned the electric system really is.

[NE1]

Many improvement in Kamala over the past 3-4 years. Orange truck guys are quick and efficient IMHO.

Exactly, the orange truck guys are not the problem, it's the blown fuses that are the problem, as in far too many user using too many amps for the capacity of that transformer, just look at how many houses/apartment blocks piggy back onto a new transformer with no thought to how much drain they will take. No-one want to be the one to pay for a transformer in the local area. Everyone understates how much supply they will need. Oh - no aircons will be installed, sure trust me.

But I am glad that Shot acknowledges that the orange truck guys are necessary.

That's what i wanted to say....

[pcliff069]

I remember I bought (yes - only a 30 year lease) a place on Nanai Road almost 19 years ago. Brown outs were just accepted, maybe a couple of times a month. Now all these years later I don't see all that much improvement, it's no longer brown outs, more like no power when a local transformer fuse has blown (big bang) and we wait for the little orange power company truck to show up after a couple of hours and everyone gives a big cheers when the power goes back on. I guess all us long stay people know this. Easy to realise why it's really gotten worse, huge increase in buildings, with no planning for infrastructures like power, water, sewage.

Same out in Kata when we moved there, all day scheduled power outs from 09.00 - 17.00 for improvements to high voltage lines from Chaofa sub station. Much caused by the new substation right on our doorstep in Kata. Substation completed last year, really not much improvement to our power outages, just routine problem.

Rant over ...

Good rant

Loved it

Probably Singapore is only Asian country where brown outs aren't king

Piss poor planning etc

[fiddlehead]

My thoughts on this is that if you have kind of money to throw at the problem, why not go off grid?
Solar and wind combined, with batteries and inverter?
I have friends who do this and I believe it is becoming easier and easier with the advanced technology in both solar and batteries recently.

If what Tesla is saying is true, it's will become even easier.

[steelepulse]

Couple points about this.

When I was building, I was told I needed to buy a transformer also, but ended up getting two 3 phase meters, which doesn't handle all the power requirements, but comes reasonably close as not everything is running all the time.

To address fiddlehead, I asked a solar company to just show me how being on solar would save me money, and he couldn't do it. I'm sure things have changed, but back in the day solar wasn't efficient nor cost saving.

[stevenl]

I remember I bought (yes - only a 30 year lease) a place on Nanai Road almost 19 years ago. Brown outs were just accepted, maybe a couple of times a month. Now all these years later I don't see all that much improvement, it's no longer brown outs, more like no power when a local transformer fuse has blown (big bang) and we wait for the little orange power company truck to show up after a couple of hours and everyone gives a big cheers when the power goes back on. I guess all us long stay people know this. Easy to realise why it's really gotten worse, huge increase in buildings, with no planning for infrastructures like power, water, sewage.

Same out in Kata when we moved there, all day scheduled power outs from 09.00 - 17.00 for improvements to high voltage lines from Chaofa sub station. Much caused by the new substation right on our doorstep in Kata. Substation completed last year, really not much improvement to our power outages, just routine problem.

Rant over ...

I think it greatly depends on the power grid you're on. Here in Katekwan Road in Kata we hardly ever have a problem, when we do it is because of major works. On e.g. Koktanod Road there seem to be many more problems.

And in Rawai at Soi Naamjai also not many problems.

I can only hope they don't try to 'upgrade' too much

[fiddlehead]

.Quote from Steelpulse:

"To address fiddlehead, I asked a solar company to just show me how being on solar would save me money, and he couldn't do it. I'm sure things have changed, but back in the day solar wasn't efficient nor cost saving."

The more I travel, the more I see them sprouting up in other countries.
Austrailia had perhaps 5-10% of the houses with solar panels.
My friends in Arizona installed them.
Yes, it is an expense up front and would have to be looked at long term.

Obviously, they are getting cheaper and more efficient all the time.
But, this new battery system that Tesla is talking about, could kick the whole industry into a higher gear.

I don't think they'll run 4 or 5 air con units though.
Have to design the houses smarter too.

But yeah, for those on a long term lease or renting, it wouldn't make too much sense.

Edited February 25, 2015 by fiddlehead