We remember the first time receiving our Thai electric bill and hadn’t a clue where to pay it or when it was due. We figure there are many first-timers who need a little guidance, so we’ve dedicated this post to breaking down the anatomy of a Thai electric bill and showing you where and how to pay for it.
The first time you look at a Thai electric bill, it’ll be pretty obvious what you owe because it’s written in Western numbers and surrounded by a big red box. But questions such as, “When is the payment due?” and “Where do I pay?” are pretty much left unanswered because the rest of the bill is written in Thai.
The Anatomy of a Thai Electric Bill
Here’s an example of a Thai electric bill. Although there are many electric companies throughout Thailand, the one we use is called the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) and provides nationwide service.
To keep things simple, the most important parts are marked in yellow. In case you want to know what’s in the rest of the boxes, we’ve included that information in green.
When, Where, and How to Pay a Thai Electric Bill
PEA electric bills are delivered once a month and placed in the small white boxes with purple lettering that are usually mounted on buildings’ outer walls or the surrounding fences. There’s no formal envelope containing your Thai electric bill as there would be back home. Instead, bills are issued on small pieces of paper that are not much bigger than a grocery store receipt.
You’ll have ten days to pay your PEA electric bill after it’s been issued. The payment period (not just a single date) is listed at the bottom right-hand corner of the receipt in the format:
DD-DD MM YYYY or DD MM-DD MM YYYY
>You’ll notice that the month is abbreviated down to two Thai characters and the year is the Thai year. The Thai calendar year is different than Western countries’ calendar year. In this case, 2557 (generally) corresponds to the Western year of 2014. We say generally because Thailand’s New Years date is not on January 1st, making it even more confusing!
By far the easiest way to pay an electric bill in Thailand is to go to your local 7-Eleven or Tesco Lotus Express, which can be found on practically every town block. Make sure to bring the original bill with you and go to any register. The cashier will scan it and ring it up separately from any other purchases you may have. There will be a small convenience fee added to the bill (we’re talking only a few baht) and then the cashier will staple a receipt to the original bill for you to keep after you’ve paid it.
Alternatively, you can pay the electric company directly at one of their offices. The PEA has a few office locations in Chiang Mai, which are easily recognized by the buildings’ white and purple exterior. If you pay here, there’s a good chance that there will be a bit longer wait than if you were to pay at your local 7-Eleven or Tesco Lotus Express. It’s simply because these offices handle more than just monthly payments. On the plus side, you won’t be charged a convenience fee.
When you first walk inside one of the PEA offices, you should spot either a number-generating kiosk or a little table or podium with paper slips in numerical order. Grab a number and take a seat. Big offices are usually equipped with an announcing system and number display board (similar to the DMV), so all you have to do is wait for your number and respective counter number to be called.
Bring with you your original bill and the cash to the counter. You won’t have to say a word to the cashier. Just pass everything over and in less than a minute the cashier will return the bill along with a payment receipt and any change.
What if I am late paying my bill?
If you did not make a payment during your ten-day window frame, you won’t be able to pay at 7-Eleven or the Tesco Lotus Express, but you can pay at the electric companies’ offices. The best part is that you aren’t even charged a late fee!
We’ve had mixed reviews on when the electricity will be cut off if you do not pay your bill. One of Angela’s old co-workers swore his electricity was cut off four or five days past the due date, while a Thai friend of ours says it’s at least two weeks. The power company will cut off service and will only restore it once you have paid your bill.
See, it’s pretty easy paying for your Thai electric bill. You get a ten-day window to pay, there’s no late fee, and you can conveniently go to any local 7-Eleven or Tesco Lotus Express. Now if only this monthly expense was this cheap back home!
Location Information
Hours: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday
Can someone confirm if there are peak and off-peak tariffs for electricity use? I believe it’s referred to as “time of use”.
This info does not seem to be indicated on the bills, so maybe I am mistaken.
great you have translated the small bill – can you do the large A4 bill that is folded and posted..
I believe the PEA is now wishing to refund the initial deposit that was paid at time of connecting to there system- The amount I paid when asking for an account to supply power to my home was 5000 baht. I have heard this rumour about this opportunity to collect a refund for this deposit just this week (26/04/2020) Is there any truth to it and is there any knowledge of what paperwork is required to present to the PEA to have the deposit refunded ? Thank you
What if you are out of the country for an extended period of time? Is there a way to paying the bill remotely?
Some banks (like Bangkok Bank) will allow you to set up an online account where you can pay them remotely. Otherwise, you can either 1) have your landlord turn off the water and electric meters so that you don’t use and therefore don’t owe anything or 2) have your landlord/friend collect the bills and pay them during the time you are out of the country.
Hi,
Is there still a ten day window for payment? I’m in Chiang Mai and awaiting my first electric bill. I keep getting mixed responses. Thank you!
Hm, we actually have no idea!
Living in a village in Loei and our payment system is different. Around the 24th of the month a lady from the village arrives on her scooter with the bill and we simply pay her the money there and then.
In 3 years, the largest monthly bill I’ve had has been 800 Baht! :-)
Very interesting experience. 800 baht is cheap!
Hope this is just KW/h so that I won’t be confused anymore. Thank you guys!
Hi Chris and Angela! :) Can you help me with my confusion? I was searching for apartments / condominiums in various websites then when I looked at the electricity charges they put “per unit” is this also equivalent to KW/h?
Funny enough the bill simply says “Units” (หน่วย) and that’s all. If we had to guess it would be KW/h but we have no way of knowing unless we got a Thai friend to call up the office and ask :/
Perhaps you could compare the number of units on the bill, with the number on your meter? I believe the meters have kWh on them.
Useful & thorough guide – well done. Maybe worth mentioning that you can also pay at Post Office counters – same 10 baht service charge – but with 7-Elevens as ubiquitous as they are, most seem to head to one of those.
While there may be no penalty for late payment of the electricity bill, watch out for the water bills. While they’re very low (mine’s usually little more than 100 baht), the late payment penalty is a relatively whopping 500 baht. The fact that it’s nearly 5 x the typical bill smarts more than the actual amount.
Thanks Steve – we weren’t aware that you can pay at the post office too. But you’re right, no need to hunt one of those down because you’d easily pass a dozen 7-11s on your way there :)
Good information regarding the water bill. Ours also hovers around 100 or 120 baht a month, but we’d be pissed to pay a late fee of 500 baht!
My electric bill in Bangkok was always arriving late so the maid started paying it (often going to the main office). Until she offered it was a real pain to deal with. Later, I had it debited from my account.
Was it fairly easy to set up the automatic payment? That beats worrying about dealing with a late arriving bill all the time.
Terry, Gaz is usually in bottle , thus when the can is empty either you bring the old one and buy a new or you call for a delivery. Internet either you pay in the shop of the provider month by month either you pay for 3 , 6 or 12 months. NB: you have a bit more power to claim when you visit to pay. If you directly pay for 12 months then it s more complicate to request a high quality service. Water , usually the village/condo where you live will give you the monthly bill and you… Read more »
Thanks for the breakdown. Do you know if it’s possible to recieve and pay the bill online?
Alternatively: is het possible to place a deposit and let it run out?
We don’t know about providing a deposit and letting it run out, but Catherine said she had her bill debited from her account. By the looks of the PEA’s website, they offer e-Pay services, although the directions are all in Thai to apply online. It’s something we’d have to ask about and apply for the next time we find ourselves paying the bill at the office.
Jeez, do you two never use your lights or AC? That is really cheap!
Thanks for the breakdown. I’ve filed that away for future use.
How do you handle your internet, gas and water bills?
I know, I know… that’ll be another post probably.
This is a great and practical post. Much appreciated! “:-)
Yeah, that was a relatively low month. Maybe we were traveling and spent on our money elsewhere :) We have thankfully not had to replace our huge gas tank under our sink, but plan on asking our Thai neighbor for help to arrange for a new one to be dropped off when it’s empty. Our internet/TV is included in our rent, so our landlord handles that (although in our townhouse last year we paid for a full year up front). Water bills we also just pay at the 7-11 or Mini Tesco Lotus. Not too bad seeing that we only… Read more »