When problems crop up at home most condo dwellers in Bangkok simply call the building’s management personnel and have someone come to fix whatever has gone wrong.
That’s all well and good in the case of a leaky tap or a broken piece of furniture, but it might not be the best solution in the event of more serious problems such as an electrical issue. Because although most condo maintenance workers are good at their jobs, that doesn’t make them qualified to deal with electrics, which are an altogether different kettle of fish.
The problem is that in Thailand the safety standards aren’t quite up to par with the West, where professionals of any discipline must undergo years of training and gain certifications in order to work. In Thailand it’s quite different – actual training is a rarity as most tradesmen just learn things on the job, which means few have actually gone to college or school and even fewer are actually certified. This is probably not going to be a problem if all you require is a lick of paint, but if you need a new shower to be installed for example, you’d probably be better off getting a qualified person in to avoid any nasty shocks.
Which leads us to the question. Do real electricians actually exist in Bangkok, or are they all just unqualified handymen?
The good news is that there are plenty of qualified electricians to be found in Bangkok. But the problem is that they’re hard to find, especially if you cannot speak Thai. It’s also hard to distinguish who’s a real electrician and who isn’t, as lots of handymen will claim to be qualified just to win your business and make a few extra baht.
But responsible expats will want to be sure their electrician is actually qualified and knows what he’s doing. In that case, how to separate the pros from the wannabes? If you can read and speak Thai it might be easy enough to do a Google search and find someone, but few real electricians advertise in English.
A much better idea is to use a site such as Borigarn.com, which is widely known for providing all manner of professional home services including maintenance and repairs. Borigarn maintains relationships with numerous qualified and trustworthy electricians who can be relied upon to do a professional job.
So the next time you have electrical problems don’t take any chances on your condo’s qualified or not handyman teams. While they’re usually always smiling and friendly, there’s a good chance they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to the wiring, and that could put you and your family at risk.