Scania trucks help maintain electricity network in Thailand

When the electric power distribution for Wat Ang Thong in Samut Sakhon needed an upgrade, the Provincial Electricity Authority sent one of their new mobile units. Within a couple of hours deep holes were drilled and new power poles in place.

In many of the 74 provinces outside Thailand’s capital Bangkok, rapid growth has generated the need for a new type of heavy construction vehicles. Equipped with both a crane and a drill, these Scania trucks can repair and exchange electricity poles and wires in both harsh mountain areas and along dirt roads during the rainy period.

In a short time, Scania´s distributor in Thailand, Scania Siam, has sold 63 such chassis for bodybuilding and equipping by Tirathai E & S.

A new segment

The need for these trucks is huge in many parts of Thailand. In order to maintain and expand the existing electricity network, estimates indicate up to 400 of these vehicles are needed.

“It is an entirely new segment, where the customers prefer Scania,” says Thanyarat Worakulphisit, Sales Executive for trucks at Scania Siam.

In a country where you sometimes get the feeling that each and every one of the 70 million inhabitants has its own power line, the need for new electricity infrastructure never ends.

5 minutes per hole

The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) distributes electricity to the public and companies throughout Thailand’s more rural areas. On a narrow concrete road between the Wat Ang Thong School and an orchid farm, one of PEA’s new special vehicles operates. Old, crumbling and overgrown concrete poles are quickly lifted by the mobile crane and transported away, while the drill is extended out and begins churning up dirt.

“This new truck from Scania has really allowed us to expand our business and work more efficiently,” says Thitipon Aupakeaw, worksite supervisor for the Provincial Electricity Authority.Thitipon Aupakeaw, worksite supervisor for the PEA.

Each new hole take between five and ten minutes to install, and already before lunch the entire stretch of road outside the school has received new poles with wires and a transformer, ensuring that the school’s electricity needs are met and a more stable electricity in the area around Wat Ang Thong.

Powerful engines

Thitipon Aupakeaw, who supervises the PEA crew installing the new infrastructure, confirms that he and his team prefer to work with Scania vehicles.

“It’s all about the vehicles’ reliability and engine power. Sometimes we have to operate in very hilly areas. Then we need the powerful engines and braking systems from Scania.

The conditions can vary a great deal. And once the drill is in the ground everything goes so much faster, thanks to the powerful engines,” he says.

“I trust in Scania for working everywhere.”