Dear community,

I wanted to know if I rent a condo for example in Bangkok, do I get the electricity bill in my name? I am a digital nomad without fixed residency but need a notarised utility bill in order to setup an offshore company. 

Thanks

In my experience the electric bill stays in the name of the owner of the property.

Get a internet connection in your name & address.

Get a letter from a Thai bank showing name & address.

7 hours ago, cjyev said:

do I get the electricity bill in my name?

no

Rented two different condos in Bangkok. Utilitiy bills always remained in the name of the Thai owner. 

You can get AIS or True WiFi and/or tv cable bills in your name. 

Get a internet connection in your name & address.
Get a letter from a Thai bank showing name & address.

Agreed.

Mobile Internet bill post-paid should work. Best to insist they write it in English. Its best whem they hand you the keyboard or they show you the screen so you can confirm how the final format will look.

MY Cat has some plans that go as low as ฿99/mo. You might be able to use the printout they give you of any [pre]payment as proof enough also if you are in a hurry.

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I rented 2 condos in bkk around 2014 and 2015. Both power bills were in my name. 

Now I rent in pattaya and it is in owners name. 

Keep in mind bkk is MEA (metropolitan electricity authority) and pattaya is PEA (provincial).

I have similar issue to you so I contacted the PEA via their online chat portal and asked if it was possible to change somehow. They said 100% cannot and it is always in owners name. 

So MEA either has a way to do it or has changed in recent years since I rented there. 

I would try to contact them through the website. 

I do have every other bill and correspondence coming to pattaya though and I wonder if internet would be considered a utility these days. I am hoping thats enough for my needs.

No. It is the owner who stays on the bill. When ownership changes ( not rental) then the deposit that is paid for the meter gets refunded to the seller and charged to the buyer. Rentals do not give ownership of the meter or condo.

18 hours ago, Sumarianson said:

When ownership changes ( not rental) then the deposit that is paid for the meter gets refunded to the seller and charged to the buyer

Only if you actually make the effort (and pay the fee) to change the name -

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1058400-outragous-fee-to-change-name-at-pea/

 

If the name is not changed back   when you leave the bill will be yours whether you are renting any more or not

On 9/22/2018 at 9:20 AM, cjyev said:

need a notarised utility bill

Notarized by whom?

 

According to Siam Legal, in Thailand a person who qualifies as "a Notarial Attorney," can do the following

 

Quote

 

1. Verification to the authenticity of signatures in a document;
2. Certification of identity of parties to an agreement;
3. Administration of oaths and affirmations;
4. Attestation and certification of certain classes of documents
5. Be witness to the signing of parties to a document.

 

 

which may or may not suit what you require and it comes with a caveat

 

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As Thailand is not a signatory to the Hague Convention on Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, in some cases, parties who have engaged notarial services in Thailand may need to have the notarized document authenticated or legalized further at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, or at the Embassy of the country to which the document is to be presented.

 

If you plan on having your embassy notarize the bill, you should check with them to see if they would. They might notarize your signature, but with the stipulation that they are not implying verification of the content of the document itself.

 

Using the example of the US Embassy:

 

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U.S. Consular Officers may provide specific notarial services authorized by relevant U.S. law and Department of State policy for all U.S. citizens. In addition, they can provide services for any person regardless of nationality so long as the document being notarized is required for use within the jurisdiction of the United States and is authorized by relevant U.S. law.

If you are American and are thinking of using the embassy notary service, you can further check here:    https://th.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/local-resources-of-u-s-citizens/notaries-public/

 

If you are not American there may be a list of services provided by your embassy on their website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just to explain the process.

The co -owner is legally responsible for the bill -not the tenant. This assumes that the bill  is in the co -owners name

 

The co -owner is then selling the utilities to you the tenant  -typically wilh no mark up.

In  practice and for convenience the  tenant actually settles the bill.

 

Your supplier is the co -owner-not the building.

You have to negotiate with the  co -owner.