Power Company to Investigate Abandoned Home's Soaring 50,000-Baht Bill
Udon Thani power company will investigate why an abandoned Bangkok resident's electricity bill soared to 50,000 baht in a month, confirming a leak occurred at the vacant Udon Thani home from late July through August.
Udon Thani Provincial Electric Authority has announced plans to investigate the cause of a dramatic electricity bill spike at an abandoned house, reaching nearly 50,000 baht on September 21. The utility says it will work with the homeowner to find a solution, confirming that electricity leakage occurred for almost a month.
On September 17, reporters followed up on the case of Sitthiphon Talatgul, 57, a Bangkok resident from Nuan Chan subdistrict, Bang Kapi district, who filed a complaint with Deputy Superintendent Chapha Kongsophon at Muang Udon Thani Police Station. The resident had been burglarized, with unknown assailants breaking into his vacant home and stealing several items. More troubling was the shock of his electricity bill, which jumped from a monthly charge of approximately 26 baht to nearly 50,000 baht. When he called the power company, staff could not provide clear answers and seemed reluctant to explain beyond mentioning a possible electrical leak. Sitthiphon demanded fair resolution, noting that the house had previously been his mother's residence but became vacant after she fell ill and moved in with him years ago.
Reporters then visited Udon Thani Provincial Electric Authority's office, where Deputy Manager Niphaphat Chittakam and staff explained the situation. After Sitthiphon filed a complaint, technicians inspected the property but could not enter because no one was present and the house was overgrown with vegetation. They surveyed the exterior, removed the meter for testing, and found it to be functioning normally and accurately. During a video call with the deputy manager, Sitthiphon detailed his shock at the discrepancy: he had been paying only about 26 baht monthly to maintain the transformer, yet the bill for July to August reached 49,681.90 baht, prompting him to report the matter to police.
The power company confirmed preliminary findings that an electrical leak had indeed occurred from July 31 to August 29—nearly one month—with a loss of approximately 20 kilowatts daily. Although staff said they could not initially access the home because the owner was absent, the authority has now scheduled an inspection with Sitthiphon on Monday, September 21, to investigate the cause of the spike and work toward a resolution.
