Durian plantation owners busted for cheating electricity meters

More than 10 durian plantation owners in Khon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, have been caught red-handed in an electricity scam.

A daring investigation by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) exposed the scam after officials noticed suspiciously low electricity bills. The durian plantations, which typically cover between 32,000 and 48,000 square metres, were racking up bills of just 200 baht a month, far below the expected 1,000 baht.

A PEA task force swooped in, and their suspicions were confirmed: the electricity meters had been tampered with to reduce their speed, slashing the owners’ costs, said Ronnachai Assanaphan, an electrician with the PEA.

“It was clear something was off when the bills dropped so dramatically.

We immediately launched an investigation.”

After discovering the tampered meters, the officials alerted the local village head and promptly filed a complaint with Khon Buri police. The owners now face serious legal consequences for their actions, which could have a wider impact on how electricity theft is tackled in the region.

Ronnachai warned the public against falling for similar schemes, where rogue electricians offer to reduce bills by illegal means.

“Don’t be fooled. These tricks may seem tempting, but they come with severe penalties.”

This scandal has raised questions about the integrity of the energy system in rural areas, where tampering might be more widespread than previously thought, reported Thai PBS World.

In related news, residents in Trang province are experiencing a wave of frustration following a stringent new policy by the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) that has led to the abrupt disconnection of electricity services and the removal of metres for overdue payments as low as 100 baht.

Without warning, many are caught off guard by the aggressive enforcement that has seen meters removed en masse, leaving households in the dark and scrambling for solutions.

In other news, an investigation conducted on Monday at the Government Housing Project in Pattaya revealed an electricity meter tampering scandal.