Power cuts every day.

[Paul Laycock]

I'm interested to know if any members have had any success in complaining and been able to receive any kind of rebate on their electric bill. I paid mine yesterday, low and behold we have a cut.

Cuts vary from 20min to three or 4 hours.

[Crossy]

Time for a genset methinks

It's worth talking to the authority about improving the supply, but I doubt you'll be seeing any rebate

[Pib]

The electric company would just say look on the bright side, "you don't pay for/use electricity when it's off."

[Bantex]

Is there any point in complaining, you'll just get ignored.

They have the upper hand and think they have the POWER to do what they want.

[Paul Laycock]

To all replies - ha ha.

[Scouse Twoccer]

Why would you think that you may get a rebate, a rebate of what? The only thing you pay the electricity authority for is electricity you use, if you don't use any you don't pay.

[Pib]

Well, if the OP does get a rebate for electricity cut-off time then I'm going to apply for a water cut-off rebate as this year the water pressure in the soi main line is so low it can't push the water high enough (only enough pressure to push water to a 3 meters height is needed) to the top of my water storage tank to refill it...but starting around 7 to 10pm at night the pressure comes back enough to refill the water tank. I live in western Bangkok in a detached house. After living here almost 8 years this is the first time I've had this problem---of course it's caused by the drought. The Metropolitan Water Works Authority (MWA) is intentionally lowering the water pressure during the day to save water.

However, but, the pressure in the soi line is just enough during the day to keep the line full and a person can suck directly from the lines vs going to your water storage tank first. Just a matter of me turning two valves which takes about two seconds and and then my water pump is sucking from the soi main line versus my storage tank So, that will hurt my rebate approval changes. But during a normal year the soi main pressure was enough to push the water to the security story of my house...no pump needed unless you wanted to take a shower and wanted some real pressure.

Up until this year I always sucked water from the tank as it always stayed full, day and night, but not this year due to very low soi water main pressure. So now, the tank is used solely for emergency storage of water...when the soi line dries up which thankfully has happened except once or twice year for maybe a half day or so if a water main breaks and they cut off the water entirely in order to fix the break. About once a week I do suck from the tank just to partially use some of the water and let it refill with fresh water over night. I have back flow valves to prevent any back flow to the soi line.

Seriously, electricity or water cut-offs can make life a little less happy. But I can't complain about the electricity up-time....since I've lived here the voltage level stays 227V plus or minus a few volts and up-time is probably 99.9999%....knock on wood (my head).

[Paul Laycock]

Rebate for the standing order you automatically pay each month, for defrosted frozen food, damaged electrical equipment.

The worst cut I have had was for 14 hours. I get the point, you pay for what you use.

[hdkane]

I reside in Chon Buri, and have power outages every day...each time for about 10 to 15 minutes...no discernible pattern to the times...also, the outages affect neighborhoods, not an entire city or village...go figure...

[Kabula]

Perhaps they are rolling blackouts from abnormally, high temperatures and extremly high usage.

[Paul Laycock]

Not had one today yet, although it's getting dark, the wind is quiet strong and I can hear rumblings in the distance.

[williet98248]

I have a real power cut several times a month. Where the whole neighborhood goes dark. I have a personal power cut also several times a month where my safety cut kicks over at the slightest disturbance even though the rest of the neighborhood still has electricity. I believe it is because my electrical box is not grounded. Or at least I can't find a ground wire anywhere.

[jeab1980]

Yes every day 2 to 3 hrs have called PEA told due to drought and power from water turbine!! Not a real problem I have generator which I use when power off to keep fridge/freezer and my electric hairdressing tools going.lucky it seem to be same times everyday. What is it saying, That's life.

[Jedsada3]

When I moved in my house 3-4 years ago, there was a power cut almost everyday, sometimes "only" 20 min sometimes 1 to more hours (depending on when I called them).

It didn't concern only my house but the whole vilage (10 houses).

Every time, 10 minutes after I called the hotline the power came back. One day, there was a guy who spoke English so I discussed a bit with him and asked him why it happened so often and why do I have to call every time. He said that I was the only one to call. The other village people (I'm the only Farang here) never call. He advised me to go to the Elect. Company and to complain because he was sure they don't know about the power cuts.

On the next day, I was there and tried to explain with my poor Thai knowledge and with their poor English understanding that we have power cut everyday. They say they will check it... and since then, we have less than one power cut per month and when I call, they already know that "Ban Farang mai mee fifa".

So my advice: go to the Electrical Company and tell them about your problem.

Don't ask for rebate. You will never get it and their attitude will change from excited to help Farang to passive-defensive.

Keep smiling even if you are upset: YOU need them and THEY can HELP YOU.

[Deli]

I would like to put one of the guys in charge into the Electrical Chair every single day, but with power on

[Paul Laycock]

JJA, thanks for the reply. I have tried this and the response I get is nobody's told us to we didn't know. From my village to Mukdahan, large pipes are being put/sunk into the ground, you could crawl through them. We must be in for one biblical rainy season. My point, do they not have the intelligence to also lay a pipe and start putting electrical cables down at the same time.

Right said Fred .... so we had another cuppa tea then we went home.

[NoshowJones]

Is there any point in complaining, you'll just get ignored.

They have the upper hand and think they have the POWER to do what they want.

They don't think, they know. TiT.

[Jedsada3]

My point, do they not have the intelligence to also lay a pipe and start putting electrical cables down at the same time.

I wouldn't talk about intelligence but about coordination and information deficiency.

And it's not typical Thai!

In the 90's I used to have a house in Germany. The road where it was situated was a unpaved road which went to nowhere, at the end only field and forest.

One day, the municipality decided to tar it. After 3 months of living in the dust, the noise and in a fully closed road (no possibility to enter the road all 3 months long), we finaly had a nice road to drive to our house.

You won't believe it but exactly 2 months later, they open the new road again to lay waste water pipes and electrical cables. The road was not fully closed but we had the inconveniences 2 months long.

A few years later, Deutsche Telekom open the road again to grave optical fiber... but until today, it's still not connected.

[Paul Laycock]

England also has this problem.

[SOTIRIOS]

...Like I mentioned previously...a few years back.......it used to happen at least once a day...for a second or two...nobody gave a da*n...

...oblivious to the damage of the power surging back as well....

...as per usual.....

[khunPer]

OP should try to live on Koh Samui, then OP will be so happy when returning home...

–And by the way, I don't think you gain anything from complaining – my lawyer always say that it has to be a Thai who complains...

[jeab1980]

OP should try to live on Koh Samui, then OP will be so happy when returning home...

And by the way, I don't think you gain anything from complaining my lawyer always say that it has to be a Thai who complains...

ha ha no sorry thai complains get same response as farang. Don't pay your lawyer bad advise 555555

[Mangostin]

Had the same problem a few years back, i didn't bother to complain, as they would not even install a public's road light even if i would have paid for everything, so i doubt they would have done anything about black or brown outs...

If it might be of any interest to you, i got a Genny that is no longer needed since they "upgraded" the supply, 2.5kW for 5k, bargain

[ALFREDO]

Have power cuts in small Isaan village, small Amphoe, as soon as a bit stronger rain, wind and lightning and thunder are reigning. Sometimes for a whole night.

[Farmer1956]

Why not look into solar power? You can feed back into the grid for a rebate and it will kick in should you

have a power cut. A battery bank will ensure of continuity of supply if the cut happens during darkness.

[Crossy]

Why not look into solar power? You can feed back into the grid for a rebate and it will kick in should you

have a power cut. A battery bank will ensure of continuity of supply if the cut happens during darkness.

Only if you have a hybrid system, and there are no hybrid inverters on the MEA / PEA approvals list

[Paul Laycock]

Crossy, hybrid inverters, MEA/PEA - my knowledge of electricity is limited to changing a fuse and putting up new wall lights.

Sorry you lose me if technical, I'm a plug it in man, if it works great, if it doesn't it's a problem.

[Crossy]

Crossy, hybrid inverters, MEA/PEA - my knowledge of electricity is limited to changing a fuse and putting up new wall lights.

Sorry you lose me if technical, I'm a plug it in man, if it works great, if it doesn't it's a problem.

Farmer1956 was referring to a solar system like this http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/3000w-Hybrid-solar-power-inverter-grid-tied-solar-inverter-with-battery-bank-up-max-solar-power/629424_32228508550.html

Sadly this type of inverter, which combines the best of grid-tie and off-grid systems, is not on the approvals list of MEA (Metropolitan Electricity Authority) or PEA (Provincial Electricity Authority) meaning that you won't get approval to connect and export power to the grid

[Keesters]

Power cuts have been on the increase where I live in Pattaya since the installation of a new substation a few hundred meters away and new cables down the soi.

Electric company is always fiddling with something but switch off (sensible) before doing so. Trouble is they never seem to get it right. We have one very overloaded pole that leans at about 30 deg off upright but they never do anything about it. In fact I've never seen a pole replaced until it actually crashes down.

In contrast my parents house In UK of 64 years has never had a power cut. The only time it was turned off was during rewiring. Underground cable may have something to do with it.

[Mangostin]

Crossy, hybrid inverters, MEA/PEA - my knowledge of electricity is limited to changing a fuse and putting up new wall lights.

Sorry you lose me if technical, I'm a plug it in man, if it works great, if it doesn't it's a problem.

Just in case you are still puzzled, i'll translate in "layman terms".

Yes it works great, but the bureaucrats in Thailand decided that it's illegal, so you cannot do it...

Thailand is a great place for a lot different things, but for some stuff, which we take for granted it's ok to do, it's a helluva of a problem, as for example brewing your own alcoholic recipe, you have to undergo the same paperwork that an industrial enterprise have to do= not worth the effort.

Almost the same for this electrical's stuff, so easy back home, a total different matter here....