Motorcycle Repair Shop Hit With Shocking 40,000 Baht Water Bill for Two Months Using 920,000 Liters Despite Normal Meter and No Leaks

On May 14, 2569, reporters visited a motorcycle repair shop on Mittraphap Road (Udon Thani-Nong Khai route) in Muban Tha Toom, Mueang District, Udon Thani Province, after receiving complaints about an unusually high water bill. The shop owner, 35-year-old Nai Golf, showed bills indicating 20,593.76 baht for April and 21,245.39 baht for May—totaling 41,839.15 baht for consuming 922,000 liters of water. This seemed unreasonable for a rented room where the shop operated only during daytime hours, with the owner returning to his home in Phen District at night.

Nai Golf explained that he normally pays only 300-400 baht per month for water. In April, he received no bill and thus paid nothing. When the May bill arrived on May 7, it combined both months' charges, shocking him with the enormous total. Although he suspected a leak, there were no signs of water damage, and the above-ground pipes showed no visible ruptures.

Initial inspections by provincial waterworks officials found the meter functioning normally—it rotated when water flowed and stopped when the valve closed. No leaks were detected inside the house. Officials told him to pay according to the bill or submit a request for installment payments. Unsatisfied with this response, Nai Golf contacted the media for investigation.

A second inspection by Isarin, the service head of the provincial waterworks in Udon Thani, confirmed the meter was functioning properly and showed normal readings. However, officials noted there was an outdoor faucet and that the meter readings matched both months of readings taken by the meter reader. The case has been referred to the provincial waterworks office for further review and resolution, with the owner to be notified of the outcome.