CCTV Wiring Diagram - Thai Style

Post by **parrot** » August 27, 2014, 1:30 pm

I was getting my truck pimped today on the north side......oil/filter change, diesel filter change, wash etc......and decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. Immediately next door to the gas station was a very new and very smart looking apartment....with a sign out front advertising the rooms for day or longer term. With a small yard in front for parking, I thought the place might be worthy of a picture on the forum.....maybe someone looking for a nice place close to the BanHui market.
When I got ready to take a photo, I noticed some odd-looking wiring........and following it saw it led to some outdoor lighting along the sidewalk in front of the apartment....and a CCTV camera.
I'd like to think the wiring is temporary....although nothing suggests that. The camera and lighting appear to be 'professionally' installed (professional = yellow pvc pipes. But the wires that lead into those pipes comes from this haphazard set up. Along with all the shortcuts, there's no plug into the socket.......rather, the two wires are bent over and inserted......save 5 baht here, save 5 baht there. Wonder what happens when it rains!
I decided to forgo taking a photo of the apartment.

Post by **Barney** » August 27, 2014, 4:22 pm

And probably by-passed the meter in the process, save another 5bht

Post by **parrot** » August 27, 2014, 4:27 pm

Barney wrote:And probably by-passed the meter in the process, save another 5bht

No.......the white wire coming out of the bottom of the electric meter in the second photo......it wraps through a hole in the pole, then out the other side down to the plug. Then the two strands of the CCTV/lighting wire are poked into the socked and run through a pvc pipe under the sidewalk.
It's all scary to look at.....sort of like the thousands of wires that sometimes run within a few inches of accessing some of Bangkok's raised pedestrian crossings.

Post by **merchant seaman** » August 27, 2014, 4:44 pm

What's really amazing more times then not it works just fine.

Post by **Barney** » August 27, 2014, 4:49 pm

Then straight out of the meter means no fuse.

Exactly MS, how does it not blow up.

It does make you wonder how many are actually killed each year due to faulty wiring and overloaded pole cables exactly as you have described Parrot in developing countries.
I now have 65 well paid and experienced thai electrical technicians on my job here in Bangladesh and we still have to be vigilant to ensure they don't creep back to the cheap Charlie Thai village standards. The Big stick or a threat to not provide chilli's for the somtam usually is all it takes. I do have a good bunch though, I showed a couple your photo and it was ok to them.

Post by JR » August 27, 2014, 7:05 pm

Thai electric technichan? Thai is an oxymoron.

Post by **Allen A Hale** » August 27, 2014, 8:15 pm

What happens when it rains? I suspect we will find out shortly with the weather as it is. Scary for sure.