Bill Gates on Thailand's hanging internet and hanging wires

[halloween]

Germany is both relatively small and quite wealthy. Both are relevant factors when "A new 138 kV overhead line costs approximately $390,000 per mile as opposed to $2 million per mile for underground (without the terminals)." http://www.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-18/issue-2/features/underground-vs-overhead-power-line-installation-cost-comparison-.html

Add to that another factor, Thailand has frequent localised and general flooding due to its climate.

That's a point for Wyoming perhaps. But the sections of the US that are far wealthier than the average and have high-population density, like the Northeast, still have all the power lines above ground, except for major cities.

How about that US education scores at the bottom of the OECD countries, way below Germany, Finland, and South Korea, none of which is as rich as the US? Or the US healthcare system that weighs in at number 37 in the UN scorecard below Slovenia?

The polarization of wealth in the US, i.e. the class war, has put a priority on abandoning the public good.

Not only am I NOT american with very little interest of that country, I was talking about Thailand. Which is what we tend, or at least try, to do on TVF.

BTW besides cost, there are quite a few other reasons why above ground transmission cables are a better choice, most of which might be difficult to understand without qualifications in that field.

Congratulations on your nationality and your lack of interest in the US. As an American myself I sometimes feel obliged to point out the narrow-mindedness of know-it-alls like Gates who enjoy comparisons that favor rich America over vastly poorer Thailand.

I am interested to learn from someone with expertise the advantages of above-ground power lines and why the Germans are apparently not aware of them.

Did you read the link? It gave several advantages other than initial costs without going into the more technical aspects such as the considerations involved for use of hybrid systems (using both types). There are plenty of websites available ranging from the simplistic, and often biased, to full depth technical. Feel free to educate yourself.

I'm quite sure the Germans are quite aware, but engineering decisions are often driven by political concerns, not all of which make a lot of sense. For example, Germany is having grid stability problems associated with their high reliance on solar and wind power.

In Oz, most long distance transmission is done at 500kV. AFAIK there is very little underground transmission at anywhere near that voltage.

[fakename]

Bill Gates does not understand Thailand, and anyway, we have different electricity, and internet.

[selftaopath]

"And people in Thailand don't steal electricity as he says. Don't look down at the Thai people"

I'm sure there the are plenty of Thai people stealing electricity. Some people really need to grow up. But unfortunately, we now live in a society around the world where BS compliments are revered and the truth is taboo. Very sad.

It's a wonder no one mentioned that probably a/b 99 % of Windows is pirated in Thailand.

Oh and our electric goes out at LEAST once a week; usually more.

Edited June 27, 2016 by selftaopath

[gandalf12]

"Others just poked fun at the American billionaire saying that the Thai electrical systems worked as well as his Windows 10 operating system."

ROTFLMAO

If Thai electrical systems are working as well as ANY version of Windows, Thailand would be in huge problems.

Fact is that it is not difficult to make anything work better as Windows.

Even for a Thai.

If th electrical system in Thailand was only 10% of the quality that Windows 10 is there would be a massive improvement

[gandalf12]

I cant think of any country that has EHV underground and there are a lot of reasons for that, mostly technical which I wont go into here

[CaptHaddock]

In other news, Bill Gates's offer to donate 100,000 baby chicks to Bolivia was rejected by Bolivia's Development Minister who pointed out that annual production of Bolivia's poultry industry is already 197 million birds.

“It’s pretty clear to me that just about anyone who’s living in extreme poverty is better off if they have chickens,” Gates wrote in his blog. “In fact, if I were in their shoes, that’s what I would do — I would raise chickens.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/bolivia-rejects-chicken-donation-bill-gates-article-1.2676253

[useronthenet]

The electric/telephone/cable infrastructure is indicative of how the country is run.

[cardinalblue]

Blaming flooding on the climate? How about proper POTWs and storm drain systems...

Talk about narrow-mindedness...we had a beautiful wet land area full of nature and natural absorption system to handle rainfall...a developer comes and fills it with dirt and concrete for housing development...

Every rainy season the run off enters our back yard garden flooding it...

Please don't make ignorant statements about blaming weather...flooding in this country is man-made and man made only...

[trogers]

MEA and PEA are two government organizations that did not progress with the times like TOT did. Why?

[donnybay]

Bill Gates could re-wire the country from his lose change, step up Bill please

[dcnx]

Our power goes out at least twice a week. Plus sometimes half the house has power and the other half doesn't. I will not touch the power in this house to fix. Let someone come and do it.

I live in a new, higher end condo in Chiang Mai and we lose power almost daily. Not for long, but it goes out. It's ridiculous.

[dcnx]

The electric/telephone/cable infrastructure is indicative of how the country is run.

The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.

[jingjoke]

Surasi Maawai needs to check out the party lights at a temple gathering or wedding etc.. all are illegally tapped into the overhead power wires! The fella just needs to open his eyes..

You mean, like this:

Kudos to whomever initially posted this

[Ricardo]

They're building a house on the block next to mine. For the past two months there has been a wire running from the power pole opposite my house across the road to the building site. Thais don't steal electricity - what absolute nonsense. I'd post a photo but what's the point people like Suransai wouldn't believe and ignore.

Ah, but that's probably the fault of the foreign construction-workers, who simply aren't Thai enough.

[ramrod711]

They're building a house on the block next to mine. For the past two months there has been a wire running from the power pole opposite my house across the road to the building site. Thais don't steal electricity - what absolute nonsense. I'd post a photo but what's the point people like Suransai wouldn't believe and ignore.

I live in a relatively small village, Three years ago the neighbor ran an electric cable over to the power pole outside our gate and hooked it up before the meter. He has an excavating business and does a lot of welding. I don't know if someone informed the power company or if the meter reader noticed it, at any rate he was told to unhook it and did so. Now the wire just hangs there...until he needs to do some welding. Thais don't steal electricity, oh please.

[MaxLee]

Haha, connection interrupted,.........

[kingstonkid]

Like many things in Thailand unfortunately there is little infrastructure or planning.

There is a solution but the rich in the country do not like it.

It is called taxes. Imagine if they took all the parties in Thailand and charged them ALL a fair rate for annual taxes.

The one thing I find funny is walking down streets in Bangkok and seeing dilapidated houses and no one caring about them because they do not have to pay any money for them and the land is free. As some rich uncle left it to them.

Before you hammer me I do own 2 houses and would be willing to pay if it meant better hydro, water

[scorecard]

Surasi Maawai needs to check out the party lights at a temple gathering or wedding etc.. all are illegally tapped into the overhead power wires! The fella just needs to open his eyes..

Another example, about 20 years ago a farang friend bought a new house in South Pattaya (in a row of shop houses, all frontages intended for residential use).

From first month he was concerned that his electric bill was way too high, he called electric company, they eventually came and checked meter etc., could find no reason at all for the very high bill.

A couple of years later a farang rented the house next door on a 2 year lease (the owners, Indians, went to live up country because of their business).

Months later the first farang asked the renting farang how big his monthly electric bill was. Reply - 0baht, there is no elec. meter.

Renting farang also mentioned that in his living room there was a rather strange wiring set up at the outlet near the bottom of one wall. It was a common wall shared by the two houses.

First farang asked if he could take a look, The actual plastic box with the female plus access was not screwed to the wall and there was a mess of wires behind it. First farang pulled the female plug assembly away from the wall, and used a torch to look deeper inside. He discovered the cement had been dug out enough to carefully install some wires to drain power from the first house.

First farang then recalled that just after he moved in the Indians just moving in next door has asked to look inside his house because people had mentioned the way he had furnished the living room was very nice. Farang said 'sure, come and have a look'. Indians came with paper and pencil and measuring tape and measured all the furniture and fittings carefully and also measured the exact location of the powerpoints on the common shared wall.

First farang told the renting farang he was going to call the police. Renting farang said 'I have no objection, this is clearly unacceptable, and must be fixed'. Police came, checked all the documents and contacted the Indians and demanded a senior person from the Indian family come to the Pattaya police station within 48 hours with the chanut and documents to prove installation of elec. and water meter, etc.

By this stage it was also established the Indians had somehow got access to other peoples phone lines and a cable TV line paid for by an house adjoining at the rear.

Indians were fined heavily, had to give compensation to the other houses involved and told to sell the house quickly and if they came back to Pattaya the police would run them out of town.

Also turned out when they left Pattaya to go unpountry they didn't pay final wages to a number of restaurant employees. Police ensured the employees were paid immediately and then discovered the electricity for the large restaurant was being stolen direct from a pole outside the restaurant.

[norbra]

In the US power cuts following wind storms are quite common because the power lines are above ground. Compare with Germany where all the lines are buried and power cuts are apparently unknown. This is what happens when a rich country decides to neglect its common commitment to infrasctructure of which the power lines are only one example among many.

Germany is both relatively small and quite wealthy. Both are relevant factors when "A new 138 kV overhead line costs approximately $390,000 per mile as opposed to $2 million per mile for underground (without the terminals)." http://www.elp.com/articles/powergrid_international/print/volume-18/issue-2/features/underground-vs-overhead-power-line-installation-cost-comparison-.html

Add to that another factor, Thailand has frequent localised and general flooding due to its climate.

That's a point for Wyoming perhaps. But the sections of the US that are far wealthier than the average and have high-population density, like the Northeast, still have all the power lines above ground, except for major cities.

How about that US education scores at the bottom of the OECD countries, way below Germany, Finland, and South Korea, none of which is as rich as the US? Or the US healthcare system that weighs in at number 37 in the UN scorecard below Slovenia?

The polarization of wealth in the US, i.e. the class war, has put a priority on abandoning the public good.

Not only am I NOT american with very little interest of that country, I was talking about Thailand. Which is what we tend, or at least try, to do on TVF.

BTW besides cost, there are quite a few other reasons why above ground transmission cables are a better choice, most of which might be difficult to understand without qualifications in that field.

Congratulations on your nationality and your lack of interest in the US. As an American myself I sometimes feel obliged to point out the narrow-mindedness of know-it-alls like Gates who enjoy comparisons that favor rich America over vastly poorer Thailand.

I am interested to learn from someone with expertise the advantages of above-ground power lines and why the Germans are apparently not aware of them.

[norbra]

Above ground cables are air cooled so no need for larger current carrying capacity cables to use for underground

[Pawpcorn]

The electric/telephone/cable infrastructure is indicative of how the country is run.

The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.

Like everything else..."It's good enough...", "It works now...", "Why worry about tomorrow?", "It's not my job...", AND "You think too much!"

[elgordo38]

"Surasi Maawai said: "Sure I hate those wires. But there are not many power cuts. And people in Thailand don't steal electricity as he says. Don't look down at the Thai people." - Others just poked fun at the American billionaire saying that the Thai electrical systems worked as well as his Windows 10 operating system."

Khun Surasai's response says it all. "Don't look down on Thai people" that obsession that someone, somewhere is saying bad things about Thai people, or disrespecting Thailand. Oh My!. Bill Gates said nothing of the sort.

Stealing power, I have had free cable for 7 years because my landlord spliced a feed cable, heh. As for the Thai electrical system and Windows 10. Not fond of it but as far as I know Windows 10 has not killed anyone, whereas I know of two westerners who have been electrocuted by faulty wiring

Faulty wiring hmm could that have been at one of the Faulty Towers perchance? Be careful Bill they will hit you with the computer crimes act or that club called article 44. They will make you see things their way like they did at the UN.

Edited June 27, 2016 by elgordo38

[casualbiker]

MEA and PEA are two government organizations that did not progress with the times like TOT did. Why?

TOT have progressed with the times?

[flyingdoc]

Come on, there is nothing wrong with power lines running above ground, but the mess of tangled wires???

[kinmaew]

They should invent a new law as a derivative of the LM law. Bad words about electricity supply? well sorry that is breach of LME, bad words about no gas supply like in normal countries well that my friend is LMG - Both carry minimum jail terms of et et etc. That's the way to run a country where people live in fear, anything that does not sound nice brush it under the carpet and forget about it, lay some flowers, sure a few people die as a result but that does not seem to have any value at all like those poor school girls who died recently with "No one is responsible" society - Life under Buddhism, living like a dog.

[elgordo38]

Our power goes out at least twice a week. Plus sometimes half the house has power and the other half doesn't. I will not touch the power in this house to fix. Let someone come and do it.

I live in a new, higher end condo in Chiang Mai and we lose power almost daily. Not for long, but it goes out. It's ridiculous.

Thanks for reminding me (I presume you bought the condo) why I never buy here and only rent a lower end condo which hardly ever loses power. It will only get worse look around you. I understand that there are presently 250 new condo buildings going up a disaster is in the making. Nothing goes underground costs to much money and they would constantly be digging the lines up to repair them. Digging is more expensive than climbing a bamboo ladder. Everything for today let tomorrow look after itself. Sounds like my life plan at my advanced age.

Edited June 27, 2016 by elgordo38

[SantiSuk]

Blaming flooding on the climate? How about proper POTWs and storm drain systems...

Talk about narrow-mindedness...we had a beautiful wet land area full of nature and natural absorption system to handle rainfall...a developer comes and fills it with dirt and concrete for housing development...

Every rainy season the run off enters our back yard garden flooding it...

Please don't make ignorant statements about blaming weather...flooding in this country is man-made and man made only...

... and the sole source for your contention that all flooding is man made in Thailand is observation of your back garden?

never learnt about the existence and role of natural flood plains in geography lessons at school?

[craigt3365]

In the US power cuts following wind storms are quite common because the power lines are above ground. Compare with Germany where all the lines are buried and power cuts are apparently unknown. This is what happens when a rich country decides to neglect its common commitment to infrasctructure of which the power lines are only one example among many.

In my many years of living in many different places around the US, power cuts were super rare. A bit off topic.

[English 1]

Yes it's a dangerous and appalling mess to see.

Oh and as soon as it rains my Television crashes!

Thanks Truevision!

[dominique355]

As far as I know these hanging spaghetti monsters are actually not power lines but telephone lines.

On the other hand I do experience frequent power cuts; at least once a week. Anything from 2 sec to 8 hours.

But the hanging spaghetti monsters are more likely to cause slow Internet (induction). Luckily my Internet connection is now fiber optic and I don't even have a land line phone.