The Hua Hin Municipal Authority has launched an investigation after Phudis Arunoros, the owner of Moly Car Care, received an extraordinarily high water bill amounting to 38,624.70 baht for March, a figure nearly 80 times his usual monthly expense.
On April 19, Arunoros took to the business’s Facebook page, Moly Car Care @Hua-Hin, to express his disbelief by posting an image of the bill issued by the Hua Hin Municipal Authority, accompanied by a bewildered comment, “What is this… the water doesn’t even flow, where does this come from, 38,624.70 baht? I almost spend 10,000 baht on water myself.”
Arunoros, who has been operating his car care shop for 17 years, noted that the typical water cost for his business hovers around 500 baht per month, with additional water purchases from private tankers, bringing his total monthly expenditure to approximately 2,000-3,000 baht. However, due to the known water shortages in Hua Hin from March to April, his facility received little to no municipal water supply, forcing him to spend close to 10,000 baht on water from private sources.
The abrupt spike in the billed amount, without corresponding water usage, has led to widespread discussion and concern on social media. Arunoros expressed frustration over the lack of clarity from municipal officials when he sought explanations, prompting him to directly contact the water supply authority.
In response, Montri Nuanarot, head of the meter installation department at the Hua Hin Municipal Waterworks, stated that initial investigations revealed a sudden increase in recorded water usage, inconsistent with previous years’ data from 2022 to 2024. The investigation will focus on whether the anomaly is due to a faulty meter, a leak in the plumbing, or other factors such as air entering the pipes while taps are left open in anticipation of water availability— a situation exacerbated by the current drought affecting the region.
Nuanarot explained that various possibilities are being considered, including human error in recording meter readings or genuine spikes in usage. The authority expects to pinpoint the cause within the next 3-4 days. He also urged any residents experiencing similar issues to report them to the Hua Hin Municipality’s meter installation department for immediate assistance.
