Residents can't find honest repair techs or know what an aircon wash should cost
A Pantip poster warns that some technicians sabotage an appliance then charge for parts. A Bangkok renter pays 800 baht per aircon unit every 3 months while a neighbor says once a year is fine, and asks for a good Sukhumvit technician. An honest technician says he charges 600 baht but customers compare it to 300-400 baht cleanings and he gets no work.
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5 ways to tackle it
Camera and vision
Quote Checker: photograph a repair quote and see whether the price is fair
The resident photographs a handwritten or printed repair quote. Claude vision reads the lines, labels each as a normal part or a labor charge, and compares them with a usual price range. 'Compressor 4,500: usual 3,800 to 5,000' sits next to 'labor 1,200: high, ask for a breakdown'.
Build with Claude vision, parts and labor price table, Next.js
Hardware and sensors
Wash or Wait: a two-probe thermometer that tells you if your aircon really needs washing
Two probes read the air temperature going in and coming out of the aircon. A clean unit drops 8 to 12 degrees, a clogged one drops far less. The screen says 'good, wait 6 more months' or 'wash it', which can save 800 baht a unit every 3 months.
Build with ESP32, two DS18B20 probes, OLED, 3D-printed holder
AI agent
Quote Collector: an agent that phones three technicians and compares the answers
The resident says what is wrong with the washer or aircon. The agent phones three technicians in Thai with the same questions, collects price, arrival date and warranty, and returns a one-page comparison. Nobody wastes an evening calling around.
Build with Twilio Voice, Whisper Thai, Claude, Google Sheets
Web portal
Honest Tech Pass: a link a technician sends so customers see the proof of work
The honest technician uploads before and after photos of the clogged coil and a short note. The page makes a link and a QR for the customer: 'this is why 600 baht, not 300'. Customers can see what 300 baht does not do, and the careful technician finally gets paid for it.
Build with Next.js, photo upload, Supabase, QR share card
Data and maps
Lobby Board: a QR poster where residents rate the techs their building has used
A QR poster in the lobby opens a one-minute form: tech name, job, price paid, star rating. The page prints a monthly sheet of the top three techs with real prices, which the juristic office pins on the board. A building's own neighbors vouch for the techs in a way search engines cannot.
Build with Next.js, Supabase, QR poster, monthly PDF sheet
What people reported
Warning post on technicians who break appliances then charge for parts
pantip.comr/Bangkok: 800 baht every 3 months vs once a year, asks for a trustworthy technician
reddit.comAircon cleaner asks why no customers at 600 baht when others charge 300-400
pantip.com