Mechanic Shocked by 40,000-Baht Water Bill, Claims He Can't Afford to Pay, Threatens to Cut Off Water Entirely
A motorcycle repair shop owner in Udon Thani received a shocking 41,839-baht water bill over two months—more than 100 times his usual monthly charge—and claims a faulty meter or staff error is to blame since he found no leaks in his shop.
Udon Thani – A motorcycle repair shop owner has filed a complaint demanding fair treatment after receiving an unexpectedly high water bill. Tasaporn Kaewnguam, 35, owner of a motorcycle repair shop in Ban Tha Tum subdistrict, submitted his water bills for April and May 2025, totaling 41,839.15 baht, shocking him since he normally pays only 300-400 baht monthly.
Tasaporn explained that he rents a shop space for 4,000 baht per month and typically pays 200-300 baht for water. However, his April 2025 bill came to 20,593.76 baht, followed by a May 2025 bill of 21,245.39 baht, totaling 41,839.15 baht over two months.
He confirmed: "I've inspected the shop thoroughly. The pipes don't break or leak because they're all exposed pipes. If there was a leak, it would be visible and the floor would be wet. There are only 3 water taps, and if someone forgot to turn off the bathroom water, the shop would flood. But everything is normal."
Tasaporn noted that water authority officials conducted a first inspection and confirmed the system was normal with no irregularities detected. During a second inspection, officials couldn't reach a conclusion and indicated they would bring the matter to a meeting and conduct a more detailed site investigation.
He suggested the fault might be due to a faulty water meter or staff recording errors, emphasizing that he cannot afford to pay over 40,000 baht alone. "If they want me to pay over 40,000 baht, I simply can't manage it. If that's the case, just cut off my water. I'd like to ask the water authority to investigate and ensure fairness—find out exactly where the error occurred."
Pichai Bundit, manager of the Regional Water Authority (Provincial Waterworks Authority) Udon Thani branch, led a team of technicians to investigate further. Initially, they found a suspicious point suggesting possible leakage inside the customer's bathroom.
The PWA plans to send a team for detailed inspection on May 25, repair any damaged areas, and schedule a meeting with the building owner and tenant to discuss fair solutions tomorrow afternoon at the PWA Udon Thani office. Additionally, the PWA manager reminded residents to regularly check their home water systems, advising that if the meter or propeller continues rotating despite no water use inside the house, they should immediately close the water valve and search for leaks to prevent abnormally high bills.
