Report Thai Electricity Bills to Remain High Despite Lower Fuel Costs

[snoop1130]

Picture courtesy of Bangkok Post

 

Thailand’s electricity bills are set to stay high throughout the year, despite decreasing fuel costs, lower demand, and a stronger baht. The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has decided to maintain the power tariff at 3.98 baht per unit, disregarding opportunities to reduce costs.

 

The ERC's decision means that consumers will continue to face unchanged bills until at least the end of August. This is largely due to the need to address significant debts within state utilities, explained Poonapat Leesombatpiboon, the ERC Secretary General. “The power tariff remains high as we need to allocate parts of electricity bills to reimburse EGAT and PTT,” he stated.

 

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has accumulated losses exceeding 66 billion baht due to previous price subsidies, while PTT Plc is grappling with a 15 billion baht shortfall. The current rate is intended to gradually reduce these debts but is insufficient for complete recovery. The 3.98 baht per unit rate will recover only 7.07 billion baht from EGAT, leaving substantial debts unresolved.

 

Two other rates, 4.87 baht and 5.10 baht per unit, were considered during public consultations. The highest rate would have cleared all debts by December, while the mid-rate would have assisted EGAT’s financial recovery. Nonetheless, the ERC chose the lowest rate, sparking confusion, given the indications of upcoming cheaper energy.

 

Fuel costs, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), are projected to decrease by 4.5% to 299 baht per million BTU from September to December. Lignite prices are also expected to drop by 7% to 3,600 baht per tonne. Together, these account for over 60% of Thailand’s electricity production.

 

Additionally, electricity demand is anticipated to decline by 8.2% due to cooler weather and increased reliance on cheaper sources like coal and hydropower. The baht's expected appreciation to 32.9 per US dollar will further reduce fuel import costs.

 

Despite these factors, the ERC's focus remains on debt recovery, leaving the public to bear the cost. Consumers are invited to share their views on the rate options — 3.98, 4.87, or 5.10 baht per unit — through the ERC’s website between July 17 and 28. However, critics argue that this choice presents a lose-lose scenario: either pay now or face higher costs in the future.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-07-18

 

 

[John Drake]

12 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Two other rates, 4.87 baht and 5.10 baht per unit, were considered during public consultations. 

 

Expect one of these two for next April and May.

[liddelljohn]

compared to UK electric price  per KWH  its 4x less than Thailand. 

Thai price for Electric  is a bargain UK is ripoff because of ED   woke Moribunds net zero idiocy 

[edwinchester]

1 hour ago, liddelljohn said:

compared to UK electric price  per KWH  its 4x less than Thailand. 

Thai price for Electric  is a bargain UK is ripoff because of ED   woke Moribunds net zero idiocy 

Good price for expats in Thailand but very high if your on pay of 400 bht a day.

[Will B Good]

 

I think our meter is dodgy.

 

We have the air on (two units) from 1pm through to 9am the following day, everyday ........and our biggest bill this year has been 1,800B.....??

 

Does that sound correct?

[CallumWK]

7 minutes ago, edwinchester said:

Good price for expats in Thailand but very high if your on pay of 400 bht a day.

 

Those on a 400 baht pay don't have 4 aircons, a swimming pool and an irrigation system.

 

They use very little electricity, and I think most are paying nothing, since they are below a certain usage limit.

[edwinchester]

10 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

Those on a 400 baht pay don't have 4 aircons, a swimming pool and an irrigation system.

 

They use very little electricity, and I think most are paying nothing, since they are below a certain usage limit.

They use very little electricity because they can't afford to and I'd wager very few expats are running four ac's full-time, have a swimming pool and an irrigation system running up their bill.

[mrmicbkktxl]

12 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I think our meter is dodgy.

 

We have the air on (two units) from 1pm through to 9am the following day, everyday ........and our biggest bill this year has been 1,800B.....??

 

Does that sound correct?

BS

[mrmicbkktxl]

Just now, mrmicbkktxl said:

BS

only the aircons will cost you 4-5000bt {12000BTU) per month if you set them on 25Celsius 

on 26C your bill still will be 3800-4800

if 27C you don't need an aircon

[hotchilli]

14 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

compared to UK electric price  per KWH  its 4x less than Thailand. 

Thai price for Electric  is a bargain UK is ripoff because of ED   woke Moribunds net zero idiocy 

It would be a bargain if the Thai rate was coupled to the average UK income...

Comparing them together is idiocy

[Peterphuket]

Surely the same is true for fuel at the pump, for a long time the international oil price has been hovering around 61$/barrel, but the price of diesel once went up to above 30 THB/ltr, and never came back below that.

[Unamerican]

15 hours ago, liddelljohn said:

UK is ripoff because of ED 

So what is ED: something uniquely British, perhaps? 

[Unamerican]

37 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

if 27C you don't need an aircon

How do you know this?
I never have mine lower than 28C, often 29 or 30: I would like a higher setting. 

[doctormann]

8 minutes ago, Unamerican said:

So what is ED: something uniquely British, perhaps? 

Ed Microbrain - energy minister and net zero nut job.

[mancub]

4 minutes ago, Unamerican said:

How do you know this?
I never have mine lower than 28C, often 29 or 30: I would like a higher setting. 

May I respectfully suggest you don't need an aircon, you need a fan.

[Will B Good]

53 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

BS

 

"I think our meter is dodgy".

 

Are you so frickin dumb you can't manage to read the first sentence?

[mrmicbkktxl]

12 minutes ago, Unamerican said:

How do you know this?
I never have mine lower than 28C, often 29 or 30: I would like a higher setting. 

Night time outside 27-30c then why need an aircon if you set it on 29-30c?Do you feel coolish with 28c outside?

[mrmicbkktxl]

6 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

"I think our meter is dodgy".

 

Are you so frickin dumb you can't manage to read the first sentence?

Nice language I bet you have a lot of friends 

[Will B Good]

2 minutes ago, mrmicbkktxl said:

Nice language I bet you have a lot of friends 

 

If I only had one, it would still be two more than you.

 

What do you expect when your response to a post is simply to state......BS?

[Gsxrnz]

13 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I think our meter is dodgy.

 

We have the air on (two units) from 1pm through to 9am the following day, everyday ........and our biggest bill this year has been 1,800B.....??

 

Does that sound correct?

 

I wouldn't be in a rush to get the meter changed.

 

I moved into a 3 bedroom house with a pool, and was surprised that the power bill was only slightly more than my previous house with no pool, this was a decade ago and I think the bill was circa 2.5K

 

Fast forward 6 months and the meter that was located on the pole outside got whacked by lightning - demolished a TV and a few household appliances also.

 

Anyway, they replaced the meter and the subsequent monthly bills were up approx 100%. Definitely a dodgy meter. I served out the one year contract and happily vacated.

[Will B Good]

Just now, Gsxrnz said:

 

I wouldn't be in a rush to get the meter changed.

 

I moved into a 3 bedroom house with a pool, and was surprised that the power bill was only slightly more than my previous house with no pool, this was a decade ago and I think the bill was circa 2.5K

 

Fast forward 6 months and the meter that was located on the pole outside got whacked by lightning - demolished a TV and a few household appliances also.

 

Anyway, they replaced the meter and the subsequent monthly bills were up approx 100%. Definitely a dodgy meter. I served out the one year contract and happily vacated.

 

Cheers.....going to keep my head down and hope the bills stay roughly the same.....555

[Gsxrnz]

1 minute ago, Will B Good said:

 

Cheers.....going to keep my head down and hope the bills stay roughly the same.....555

 

I'd install a Tesla charging port if I were you. 

[mrmicbkktxl]

14 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

If I only had one, it would still be two more than you.

 

What do you expect when your response to a post is simply to state......BS?

If it's black I will not say it's pink and running 2 airons 21hours per day with a bill under 1800bt per month is BS!!!

Even if you set the airons on 29-30c  for 21 hours your bill will be over 1800bt.Ok Mr.nice guy have a wonderful day

[Will B Good]

Just now, mrmicbkktxl said:

If it's black I will not say it's pink and running 2 airons 21hours per day with a bill under 1800bt per month is BS!!!

Even if you set the airons on 29-30c  for 21 hours your bill will be over 1800bt.Ok Mr.nice guy have a wonderful day

 

Again...once more for the hard of thinking...first line of my post

 

......I think my meter must be dodgy.....

[Sydebolle]

Efficiency, it is called EFFICIENCY!

If all these power generating institutions, private or governmental, would inch towards the 21st century, the generation costs would be substantially lower. See Makro having covered car parks and roofs with solar panels; a huge display behind the cashiers show in green the solar power and in orange the power they buy from third parties. 

In private households the calculation always goes off as the solar energy equipment is still too expensive. We went through this subject with a study and even wanted to participate in the government's programme whereby the EGAT, PEA, MEA and God only knows who else would buy kw/h from private panel operators. While this programme exists, the boys in Nong Khai were poking noses and "cannot" was the answer. 

A private user also cannot install a TOU meter, a digital measuring device which allows the separation of high and low tariff usage. While this is in place for decades in other places, here it does not work. Literally nobody looks at power consumption of white goods, be it fridges or - my favorite - rice cookers. Latter cooks rice with upto 800 watts. Decades ago they introduced those colourful stickers from A to E - red to green - on how power efficient a device is. Nobody today cares about that either. 

Unless there is a real motivation token for the consumer/user, they will not switch habits. Likewise some professionalism in the power generation of the 21st century might help the Thai producers; it is a joke if a country with 250+ sunshine days still heavily depends on thermo- and hydro-generated power. 

[Garouda]

If I divide your 6,102 bahts by 1102 units it gives me 5.54 THB/unit.

I'm off grid, in the middle of nowhere, so solar plus batteries is my only solution. We are using between 4 and 5 units a day and if I divide my investment by the number of units we have used so far, I'm between 20-25 THB/unit… History of eight years...

If I had to make the same investment today, it would be cheaper, because we can now source long-lasting LiFePO4 batteries, and the price of solar panels has dramatically dropped. Also, the hybrid solar inverters controllers are now very reliable and cheaper than a solution controller plus inverter.

[kingstonkid]

17 hours ago, John Drake said:

 

Expect one of these two for next April and May.

Notice they raise it during hor season fans and ac

[Will B Good]

2 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

 

I'd install a Tesla charging port if I were you. 

 

That is pure genius.......could maybe run it down to the road and start 'charging' people....555

[PETERTHEEATER]

17 hours ago, Will B Good said:

 

I think our meter is dodgy.

 

We have the air on (two units) from 1pm through to 9am the following day, everyday ........and our biggest bill this year has been 1,800B.....??

 

Does that sound correct?

Shhhh🤫

[JamesPhuket10]

On 7/18/2025 at 12:25 PM, liddelljohn said:

compared to UK electric price  per KWH  its 4x less than Thailand. 

Thai price for Electric  is a bargain UK is ripoff because of ED   woke Moribunds net zero idiocy 

 

Electricity in the UK costs 9.57 baht per unit.

 

Average salary £29,600 per year in the UK, the minimum wage in the UK for an eight hour day is 4294 baht a day.

 

Minimum daily wage in Thailand is 400 baht which is 10.7 times less than the UK.

 

So I don't think the Brits are worse off.