Beyond a joke, worse than useless

[Snackbar]

After many many, too many years here nothing has changed.

If you want something doing, more often than not, might as well ask the cat.

Here are two recent examples.

My kitchen sink is blocked. An engineer is recommended by a friend. Eventually he turns up, And yes he confirms the kitchen sink is blocked. He can fix it no problem.

Step 1 dismantle the under sink pipe work. CHECK

Step 2 flood the kitchenfloor. CHECK

Step 3 grab expensive white towels and use to absorb filthy waste water. CHECK

Step 4 relocate standing fan into kitchen to dry out the kitchen floor. CHECK

Step 5 'engineer' slips arse over tit on wet floor, grab standing fan on the way down and smash fan blade, break standing fan. CHECK

Step 6 collect engineer's tools, and leave, never to return.

Summary

Blocked sink is still blocked.

Three quality towels destroyed beyond repair. (Replacement cost B3,000)

Repair standing fan (new blade B300, 2 hours by and by)

Clean up kitchen and replace under sink pipe work 2 hours)

Mobile phone repair (USB needs replacing)

Find a recommended engineer in Phuket, can fix, no problem

By and by over a one week period, phone is 'modified' B500

Great, works fine, like new.

One week later USB stops working.

Back to engineer, can fix no problem. Great, thks

Three weeks later, and ten different excuses and outright lies, phone is fixed.

One week later USB stops working.

Summary

One month to and fro twelve pointless visits to engineer

B500

Too many years here and a hundred similar scenarios. Worse than useless, beyond a joke.

No white knights, thks.

No, go home if you don't like it, thks

No, it's not Thai bashing it's factual.

Some say, it is possible to communicate with a cat.

[mcfish]

Soak your towels in bleach

[Don Mega]

Obviously the engineer did not have a PHD in sinkology, next time hire a handyman.

[LivinginKata]

Just another regular day in Paradise ... mai pen rai

[tirekicker]

It doesn't take an "engineer" to unblock a sink but most of the repairmen or odd job men like to think of themselves as "engineers" or "technicians"

[LivinginKata]

It doesn't take an "engineer" to unblock a sink but most of the repairmen or odd job men like to think of themselves as "engineers" or "technicians"

Called a plumber. My handyman unblocks sinks (and toilets) in our homes on a regular basis.

[tirekicker]

I do these type of jobs and many others myself no need to call a plumber.

[steelepulse]

I love it when the technicians/repair people,/engineers/handymen come over and don't have the proper tools, don't have ladders and anything else that might be required to fix a problem. I've lost count of how many tools have walked away with the repair people over the years even after having someone keep an eye on them.

I've had teak wood floors scratched horribly, different fixtures and other things broken, granite chipped etc. and not a single repair company/person have ever admitted to, or even better, offered to pay for their breakage. No personal responsibility seems to be taken and no precautions are ever seen to be taken either.

[mcfish]

I do these type of jobs and many others myself no need to call a plumber.

Just go to you tube ! I do all my own stuff these days just following web tutorials

[tirekicker]

I do these type of jobs and many others myself no need to call a plumber.

Just go to you tube ! I do all my own stuff these days just following web tutorials

Yes youtube is a great teacher.

[andrew55]

Time to move to a new house.

[Goldieinkathu]

I love it when the technicians/repair people,/engineers/handymen come over and don't have the proper tools, don't have ladders and anything else that might be required to fix a problem. I've lost count of how many tools have walked away with the repair people over the years even after having someone keep an eye on them.

I've had teak wood floors scratched horribly, different fixtures and other things broken, granite chipped etc. and not a single repair company/person have ever admitted to, or even better, offered to pay for their breakage. No personal responsibility seems to be taken and no precautions are ever seen to be taken either.

It's almost impossible to have any workman enter the house and not leave without having broken/damaged something .

I once had the termite men come, I'd asked them to do in the roof space but forgot to tell them that the entrance to the roof was in the bathroom, you can imagine my face when I found they'd tried to cut a 2ft square hole in the kitchen ceiling

I could write a book , it's enough to send you round the bend

[Snackbar]

Baby had just started walking and becoming a toddler. Spent three months sprucing up the back garden. New fence, new lawn a great after work DIY project. Wife happy, in-laws impressed and garden party planning, BBQ, bouncy castle, kids and family, underway.

Downstairs toilet starts playing up so we call in the experts to solve the problem before the big garden party 'reveal' to friends and neighbors.

Tree roots have grown up the waste pipe and blocked it. Have to replace the pipe. Landlord agrees to deal with it and work promptly starts. We leave them to it and head off out for the day.

Return home to a toilet now raised eight inches off the bathroom floor on a hideous 'throne' decked out in 1970's brown tiles. In the back garden a six inch blue plastic pipe out of the back of the bathroom wall, across the top of a 3ft wide concrete path, across the top of the beautiful manicured lawn for 30ft then into the septic tank.

This type of work is known as 'ground work'. And it's generally accepted this type of work looks better underground. No Sir. If it costs money you want to see it don't ya!

Disbelief, beyond belief, worse than useless.

The cat didn't think much of it either.

[johnatong]

Blocked sink ---------------DIY !!

We have recently had extremely good service from

1. Samsung ----------repaired fridge freezer (1,500 Bht)

2. LG ------------------Repair TV (2,900 Bht)

Both jobs undertaken by competent, polite, uniformed technicians.

No drama !

Seek cheapo fixes from "recommended" odd job people and enjoy the fun !

[tirekicker]

Blocked sink ---------------DIY !!

We have recently had extremely good service from

1. Samsung ----------repaired fridge freezer (1,500 Bht)

2. LG ------------------Repair TV (2,900 Bht)

Both jobs undertaken by competent, polite, uniformed technicians.

No drama !

Seek cheapo fixes from "recommended" odd job people and enjoy the fun !

After 4 visits from the authorized Samsung refrigerator technician and still not working correctly we gave up and bought a new one.

[cornishcarlos]

It doesn't take an "engineer" to unblock a sink but most of the repairmen or odd job men like to think of themselves as "engineers" or "technicians"

Called a plumber. My handyman unblocks sinks (and toilets) in our homes on a regular basis.

Stop blocking them then...

[canuckamuck]

Three letters to maintain some of your sanity in Thailand: D.I.Y.

Even if you don't know how to do it, chances are you are going to do it better than the expert that shows up.

[lovelomsak]

I wanted the house painted. Wife got some locals over. Very good price.Each worker 300 baht a day.Told it would take 5 days. Good price so ok. The day they were to start one guy shows up says sorry cannot do it. Will call a professional painter for you. The pro shows up quotes 35,000 to do the job. I say no thanks. The first guy now says he can do it but wants 500 baht a day per worker. I say no thanks. I paint it myself with a 4 inch brush in 4 mornings, Did the front fence before breakfast the 5th day.

[steelepulse]

Don't even get me started on quotes. They just randomly throw out a number that will see them through the whole month. Here's a couple examples. Needed a tree taken out, 60,000 baht. Wanted a quote to paint the outside of the house 200,000 baht. Granted there have been a couple semi competent and semi fair tradesmen, but those are the exceptions and definitely not the rule.

[Snackbar]

Had an odd a problem with my Suzuki Jeep. Strange smell of gasoline in the cab. Took it to the obvious garage and some women there, never picked up a spanner, tire kicker type says the carburettor needs replacing about B30k she says. Clearly this creature is off her head.

Ask a friend in the trade to take a look. He says there is a hole in the back, near the tail gate, right next to the exhaust and fumes are coming in there. Recommends a a B20 rubber mat to cover the hole and problem sorted.

Mobile phone shop excuses / lies.

1. Can't open the phone.

2. Engineer is sick.

3, Songkran innit.

4 Engineer is in the toilet.

5 Sent phone to Bangkok

7 Engineer has phone at another shop

6 Waiting for spare part from Bangkok

7 Engineer not here today

8 Come back next week

9 Will be fixed tomorrow

10 Can't fix it, take it, don't come back, you no good

Why do they do it?

[Happy Grumpy]

The peasant Thai.

Experts at everything.

[Happy Grumpy]

People need to remember one thing:

Just because Somchai has a sign outside his place for a plumbing business, doesn't that he has any qualifications or experience as a plumber.

It only means one thing:

At some point in the past, Somchai had enough money to have a sign made.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Happy Grumpy

[uthaithanirules]

I'd unblock the sink myself, its not rocket science

[Happy Grumpy]

I'd unblock the sink myself, its not rocket science

It's really quite simple:

Just get a wire clothes hanger.

unwind and straighten it into one long wire.

Jam it down the plughole.

Wiggle it about a bit.

Move it up and down a bit.

Wiggle it about a bit more.

go to the Yellow pages and call a plumber.

done!

[rodcourt49]

It doesn't take an "engineer" to unblock a sink but most of the repairmen or odd job men like to think of themselves as "engineers" or "technicians"

Called a plumber. My handyman unblocks sinks (and toilets) in our homes on a regular basis.

Stop blocking them then...

...have a bog under your trees late at night...good for garden and tank...

[phka]

snackbar i just want to thank you so much for this post i know it wasnt meant to be funny but it had me in hysterics for a long time especially the sink unblocking enginer its not funny being on the receiving end i know but this was great thanks

[Shot]

Had new brakes and tires installed on D-Max by reputable shop. A few weeks later and after driving several miles of dirt and mud roads the front passenger wheel developed a squeak. Stopped at a local repair shop and explained problem. Shop owner looks at wheel from his office 10 meters away and declares I need new brakes all around.

[hkt83100]

Buy something like this and do it yourself... (about 180 Baht)

[Happy Grumpy]

Had new brakes and tires installed on D-Max by reputable shop. A few weeks later and after driving several miles of dirt and mud roads the front passenger wheel developed a squeak. Stopped at a local repair shop and explained problem. Shop owner looks at wheel from his office 10 meters away and declares I need new brakes all around.

Oh yes.

I love when the 'mechanic' diagnoses the problem without looking at it.

One time it happened at Honda, the manageress obviously saw my face and said 'Don't wolly, he very good mechanic'.

No he's not, he's a very bad mechanic. No mechanic will know what the problem is without looking at it first to make sure.

Thais don't really like the truth or common sense, and she got velly angry.

[thairay]

when my up country builder filled the water supply pipe with sand by dragging it about before install,causing slow water flow at the taps,he thought about it and explained "the water is thicker here."..i blew it back with a pump for 10 seconds and the water got thinner..you got to love it