The coin-operated water-vending machine was installed some two months ago, confirmed people living in the street, Baan Bang Whan Rd in Moo 1, Kamala.
The water-vending machine is of the same type installed elsewhere by Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor). The machine, branded “Freshy Drinking Water”, is accompanied by a 500-litre tank of drinking water for local residents to use.
The owner of the house, Waralak Fritze, 52, is currently staying in Germany, explained the housekeeper, who asked not to be named.
When the machine was first installed, she called to inform Ms Waralak, who then called the owner of the machine, whose mobile number is posted on the front of the machine.
“We have to give the machine owner B50,000 to remove this machine,” Ms Waralak said in a post online.
“The machine owner said they bought it from someone. It cost B35,000, but they said I have to pay B50,000 because it was bought a long time ago. Please help. Don’t use your power over the people. Thank you,” housekeeper said
“Please help me. I’m in trouble. Now I’m not in Thailand. I have called every way but no one helps. No one. Thank you to the media who came to help. This time, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she added.
With the village headman (Phu Yai Baan) of Baan Bang Wan, Moo 1, Kamala resigning on Monday this week (Nov 29)The Phuket News yesterday asked subdistrict headman (Kamnan) Wattanaphon Sanae how the situation is to be resolved.
“I know the complaint… This has to be done right, and it is not appropriate to set up the machine blocking the entrance and exit of the house,” he said.
“But if legally required, the owner of the house and the owner of the machine must bring the documents to verify who is correct,” he added.
The issue involved the registered owner of the land on which the machine has been installed, which in this case is Mali Wandee, he noted.
Ms Mali said that all of the land in the past had no roads passing through it and was all the same plot of land.
“The land of the person who complained to the media is located in front of a public canal. Before the road was built through this plot of land, the whole plot was divided into two parts, mostly in the mountains and the small part next to the public canal,” she said.
Ms Mali explained that she invited “the foreigner” who owns the house to go halves in buying the small plot that once was beside the public canal, but now includes the area in front of the foreigner’s house.
However, the foreigner declined, saying that the land on which the house was built was enough, she said.
“The land owner sold it to me for B50,000. I bought it alone and a community agency came to ask to set up that machine, so I allowed them to set it up and for them to pay for the electricity the machine uses. Therefore, the machine is not mine. In the past, this was a public canal near the fence of the foreigner’s house,” Mrs Mali said.
Meanwhile, Kamala OrBorTor has not even recognised the issue with a private company installing a profit-making machine right beside a roadsaide public drain.
After the elections last weekend, Chula Dumlak has been unofficially named as the new Chief of Kamala OrBorTor. However, he has yet to be officially installed to take office.