Water contract in farang name possible?

[mran66]

I have a house in company that I bought some time ago already. Water supply contract was in the company name when bought, the commercial contract about 350 baht /mo incl 15cbm of water. 

 

I always thought it would not be possible not have the normal residential water supply contract if farang, and house in company name. However someone claimed yesterday it would be possible even if house in company name, to at least have water in thai name to such house.

 

Anybody have knowledge of how this is factually? Would there be a way to change the water to normal residential contract without the 350 baht fixed fee, either farang or thai? Water usage less than 10cbm/mo so would cut fee quite a bit if possible. 

[Langsuan Man]

If you are talking about the Pattaya Water office located in Naklua, no way to change from company name to private name, Thai or or foreigner makes no difference

 

My first experience with Thai obstinacy was when I went to change over from "construction" temporary water to permanent, with a meter (construction water is not metered) The lady not only would not put the water in a private name but also insisted that the company paperwork must be updated before the account would be opened and they would graciously charge me the commercial rate

 

Sorry,  but they feel that if you have a house in a company name then you are commercial and are going to pay the commercial rate, which of course is much higher.

 

Only way around it is to cut off the water, buy yourself a tank and then have water delivered for private use

[mran66]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

If you are talking about the Pattaya Water office located in Naklua, no way to change from company name to private name, Thai or or foreigner makes no difference

 

My first experience with Thai obstinacy was when I went to change over from "construction" temporary water to permanent, with a meter (construction water is not metered) The lady not only would not put the water in a private name but also insisted that the company paperwork must be updated before the account would be opened and they would graciously charge me the commercial rate

 

Sorry,  but they feel that if you have a house in a company name then you are commercial and are going to pay the commercial rate, which of course is much higher.

 

Only way around it is to cut off the water, buy yourself a tank and then have water delivered for private use

Okay, kind of expected it is like that, with farang treatment... 

[phantomfiddler]

5 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

If you are talking about the Pattaya Water office located in Naklua, no way to change from company name to private name, Thai or or foreigner makes no difference

 

My first experience with Thai obstinacy was when I went to change over from "construction" temporary water to permanent, with a meter (construction water is not metered) The lady not only would not put the water in a private name but also insisted that the company paperwork must be updated before the account would be opened and they would graciously charge me the commercial rate

 

Sorry,  but they feel that if you have a house in a company name then you are commercial and are going to pay the commercial rate, which of course is much higher.

 

Only way around it is to cut off the water, buy yourself a tank and then have water delivered for private use

But that would cost MUCH more per cubic metre, and also much poorer in quality from what I have seen and bought ????

[natway09]

The house is in a Company name so billed as commercial.

If the house was sold  then could go in the name of a private owner then the billing would change accordingly.

You cannot own the house in your name.

The "gracious lady " is correct

[topt]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

If the house was sold  then could go in the name of a private owner then the billing would change accordingly.

You cannot own the house in your name.

Had this about 9/10 years ago. After buying the house, changed from commercial to private and managed (with some difficulty) to get both our names (mine and gf) on the bill. Unfortunately at some point mine disappeared off the bill.........

I have never tried to do anything about it since.

[LukKrueng]

7 hours ago, mran66 said:

Okay, kind of expected it is like that, with farang treatment... 

I don't think it's got anything to do with farang treatment. The contract is under the name of the house owner which you are not. 

[straylight]

You can own a house in your name but not the land.

[blackcab]

Generally speaking you would keep the water in the name of the company, as the invoice would be a tax deductible expense. The same for all other utilities.

 

There are times, however, when a company who owns a building leases out the property to a third party. In this case, the third party can take their lease to the PWA and get the account changed to the name of the lessee.

[DaRoadrunner]

I once had a problem with the owner of a house I rented, he cut my water off and removed the meter. A visit to the water office and they gave me a new meter and billed me direct. Anything is possible in Thailand and of course it may vary from one water office to another.

 

It is interesting to note that in my case the house owner was a policeman. He got angry with the water office and they told him he had no authority over them.

 

Once in a while farang wins one!

[Langsuan Man]

This is not a foreigner versus Thai issue

 

It merely applies to company owned properties

 

And even if you get the water company to put it in your name (which I doubt), you are still going to pay the commercial rate

 

Take the property out of the company name and then you will be able to put it into your name and pay the residential rate and not the commercial rate 

[mran66]

8 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

This is not a foreigner versus Thai issue

 

It merely applies to company owned properties

 

And even if you get the water company to put it in your name (which I doubt), you are still going to pay the commercial rate

 

Take the property out of the company name and then you will be able to put it into your name and pay the residential rate and not the commercial rate 

 

... Well why I somehow have a feeling that this is one (small fortunately) of the many small taxes set for rich foreigners, this one by PWA... Residence is a residence, no matter how the ownership is set. Only foreigners have to own residences in a company...

 

Anyway TIT. 

[Langsuan Man]

16 hours ago, mran66 said:

Only foreigners have to own residences in a company...

Completely false

 

The company ownership system was set up for the Thais so that they could transfer land and property without paying high land transfer taxes.  It was Thai lawyers that determined that the same system could be used by foreigners to "control" property