Thailand is preparing to open its electricity system to households, allowing those with rooftop solar panels to sell surplus power back into the grid, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Thursday, April 16, 2026. The proposal forms part of a broader push to strengthen energy resilience and reduce household costs amid global volatility. If implemented, the move could create a new income stream for families while improving national energy security.

Get today's headlines by email

Speaking at the Governor Talk session during the IMF-WBG Spring Meetings 2026 in Washington, DC, Ekniti outlined the policy as part of efforts to turn crisis into opportunity. The discussion focused on Thailand response to rising energy prices, domestic measures to maintain macroeconomic stability, and preparations for Bangkok hosting the 2026 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. He said the Middle East conflict has intensified energy market volatility, prompting Thailand to accelerate reforms.

The government is already encouraging households to install rooftop solar panels through tax incentives to ease living costs. However, Ekniti stressed that the longer term goal is to develop a smart grid and energy storage system capable of integrating small scale producers. This would enable households to sell excess electricity back into the grid, supporting both income generation and decentralised energy supply.

Ekniti warned that Thailand remains highly exposed to the energy crisis, with oil and gas imports accounting for around 10 percent of gross domestic product. He said the impact is being felt through two main channels, rising prices that reduce household purchasing power and supply shocks affecting agriculture and industry through higher input costs such as fertiliser and naphtha.

In response, the government is applying its 4T strategy, Target, Transition, Transform, Together, to manage limited fiscal resources more effectively. This includes shifting away from blanket subsidies towards targeted support for the most affected groups. Ekniti said Thailand digital infrastructure, including PromptPay, enables direct transfers to recipients, improving efficiency compared with broad cash handouts.

Building on previous programmes linking driver licence data and welfare cards to financial systems, the government is studying a digital wallet mechanism for cooking gas and fuel subsidies. This would allow assistance to be delivered directly to those in need, reducing waste and improving targeting during crises.

The Nation reported that Ekniti added that tourism continues to recover, supported by Songkran momentum, but warned that ongoing Middle East tensions could affect confidence and arrivals. Thailand is therefore looking to strengthen regional cooperation, including cross border payment systems within Asean, to support more resilient growth.

Picture courtesy of The Nation

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Nation 17 Apr 2026

View full article

I like it that it is "may let" "if" and "could".

The electricity network is not very willing to buy surplus from households. They like to sell and make profit and probably if more people install solar panels they will loose money, and that is not done in Thailand.

At this moment only the upper middle class has solar panels as it is very expensive to install them. Make it cheaper for everyone, as there is enough sun , and surely invest in loading points for electric cars too and promote that too.. It is better for the airquality, less independent for oil and in the end better for everyone

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

I like it that it is "may let" "if" and "could".

The electricity network is not very willing to buy surplus from households. They like to sell and make profit and probably if more people install solar panels they will loose money, and that is not done in Thailand.

At this moment only the upper middle class has solar panels as it is very expensive to install them. Make it cheaper for everyone, as there is enough sun , and surely invest in loading points for electric cars too and promote that too.. It is better for the airquality, less independent for oil and in the end better for everyone

20kbht for a decent DIY install, hardly expensive.

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

20kbht for a decent DIY install, hardly expensive.

... and how can I do it for 20Kbt?? What capacity system will this buy?

Thailand, stuck in the dark ages.

Many countries allow private households to sell excess domestic generated electricity back to the power grid.

But in backward, centrally controlled crony corrupt Thailand?

If it reduces the chance of the power going out during this heatwave I am all for it!

I am in fear of that happening!

14 minutes ago, Iamemjay said:

... and how can I do it for 20Kbt?? What capacity system will this buy?

Google is your friend!😳

Might not be selling much excess power when the kids leave the fan on!

🤣🤣🤣

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

20kbht for a decent DIY install, hardly expensive.

20kbht as you say, hardly expensive. However, we are not all agile little monkeys, and 3 stories high is just a tad over the top for me. I am also inclined to think, 20K is a little under priced for 21 rooms, or will I be palmed off with junk!?

"Thailand is preparing to open its electricity system to households, allowing those with rooftop solar panels to sell surplus power back into the grid, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on Thursday, April 16, 2026"

Can somebody please have a word with the deputy prim minister an the finance minister. It has been possible to sell excess power back to the grid for years already

3 minutes ago, cowellandrew said:

Google is your friend!😳

Might not be selling much excess power when the kids leave the fan on!

🤣🤣🤣

This collection of bits might be cheap but it is not suitable for grid tie connection

We live in Bangkok, installed solar panels with battery on-off grid in February 10 640w panels, inverter and 15.36 kW battery to reduce bills.

Cost 175k baht. Last bill 1650 baht instead of 6000.

The day I'm in heaven it will be better for my wife.

We have choosen not to sell because they only pay around 2.50 baht per unit. If we should be interested they have to increase the price.

So yes you can sell, at least in Bangkok

5 minutes ago, hanbla said:

We have choosen not to sell because they only pay around 2.50 baht per unit. If we should be interested they have to increase the price.

Well of course they will not offer you more than what they sell it for themselves, which in my area is about 4 baht/unit. Are you able to determine how much energy you would likely have over to sell each mnth?

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

20kbht for a decent DIY install, hardly expensive.

Solar is far from expensive now, especially if DIY

@Iamemjay

I think he's missing a -0- and 200k makes more sense. Which would be a price for a decent 10kw system installed. DIY, maybe 100k baht.

You can do cheap solar setups anyways in your house, just that you cant sell anything back, it will not be accepted to by PEA/MEA. Besides, your cheap inverter will stop working after 1 year. LOL.

Only certain brand of inverters are accepted by MEA/PEA, you can find the list online.

A decent house 5k solar setup will be at least 100k baht. More if you go high quality.

I will be doing a 6kw setup myself by end of the year, but I will go with Deye instead of Huawei, and will have one of those new large batteries they released.

Gemini is handling this project for me :)

my list so far:

	Item	Specifications	Estimated THB
	Inverter	Deye 6kW Hybrid (SUN-6K-SG01LP1-EU)	34,550
	Battery	LVTopsun 314Ah G4 (16.07kWh, IP65, 10yr Warranty)	71,500
	Panels (x8)	600W HV N-Type TOPCon Bifacial (Voc≈85V)	28,000
	Structure	120mm L-Feet, Aluminum Rails, Mid/End Clamps	8,500
	Combiner	RAPD Hybrid 6kW (DC SPD/Breakers, AC AVP)	4,000
	Solar/AC	6mm² PV1-F (DC) and 6mm² NYY (AC)	4,500
	Battery	50mm² Flexible Copper with Lugs	1,500
	Meter	UNI-T UT890D+ with UT-L21 Probes	1,200
	TOTAL	Phase 1 (8 Panels)	153,750 THB

1 hour ago, Surasak said:

20kbht as you say, hardly expensive. However, we are not all agile little monkeys, and 3 stories high is just a tad over the top for me. I am also inclined to think, 20K is a little under priced for 21 rooms, or will I be palmed off with junk!?

Put my panels on the back wall, I don't go any higher than a step-ladder.

Mounting brackets were some 2x1 box steel, welder, grinder and drill.

1 hour ago, Iamemjay said:

... and how can I do it for 20Kbt?? What capacity system will this buy?

6x 580w (2kbht each) RAPD bifacial split mono panels, 6k2 PowMr inverter (6k5bht).

About 320 units a month, enough to power my home, car and eMTB (without aircon).

They need to make the process easy.

Confirm the inverter is PEA Approved then no need for inspection or onerous paperwork.

Switch digital meters remotely to handle export and change spinning wheel meters for digital ASAP.

There is zero risk to PEA employees no matter how poor the installation if the inverter is PEA approved.

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

20kbht for a decent DIY install, hardly expensive.

Hardly expensive?? If I look around in my neighbourhood it seems nobody can pay that. Besides what quality do you get and here it is difficult to sell the energy as the PEA here has to give permission even for an electric car to use solar panels.. Every PEA its own rules

Electricity is so 'cheap' (for now), the payback time on solar systems is far too long.....especially if you take into account the lost opportunity cost of capital and real depreciation costs, both of which tend to be ignored.

4 hours ago, hanbla said:

Cost 175k baht. Last bill 1650 baht instead of 6000.

Have you researched why electricity is still being drawn from the grid? There are usually only three reasons:

1. Battery capacity is insufficient to cover the hours of darkness.

2. Generally, the panels are not producing enough total power.

3. The panels aren't producing enough power during a stretch of cloudy days.

Which case applies to you?

Thailand May Let Households Sell Power Back to the Grid in Energy Shift.

They will pay Less than what itcost them to generatethe power ,they will still make money.

They done that in Aus 15 /20 + years ago and then they paid less and less the following years to make More money .

4 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

They need to make the process easy.

Confirm the inverter is PEA Approved then no need for inspection or onerous paperwork.

Switch digital meters remotely to handle export and change spinning wheel meters for digital ASAP.

There is zero risk to PEA employees no matter how poor the installation if the inverter is PEA approved.

Inverter and installation approved.

Diy systems have the potential to keep the powerlines energised in an outage.

2 hours ago, digger70 said:

Thailand May Let Households Sell Power Back to the Grid in Energy Shift.

They will pay Less than what itcost them to generatethe power ,they will still make money.

They done that in Aus 15 /20 + years ago and then they paid less and less the following years to make More money .

Yes, I'm still on 44c per unit, but it drops off to, I think, 4c or something ridiculous in 2027.

I read some retailers are actually charging customers for their exported power when the overall renewable power generation on the grid is very high.

14 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Inverter and installation approved.

Diy systems have the potential to keep the powerlines energised in an outage.

That’s why I said the inverter has to be PEA approved.

There is no way a PEA approved inverter can keep the power lines live during a power cut. It’s impossible to make it do that no matter how or who installs it.

2 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

That’s why I said the inverter has to be PEA approved.

There is no way a PEA approved inverter can keep the power lines live during a power cut. It’s impossible to make it do that no matter how or who installs it.

Correct, no argument from me.

PEA/MEA have got in on the act and are selling/installing their own Solar Panel/Grid Tied Inverter systems up to 10kWh, and of course regulating them by installing a new digital meter. Apparently the property owner and meter renter can apply to register their system with the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission to receive the rate of 2.20 THB per Unit for a Grid Tied system (Net Billing, Direct Credit), or up to 200,000THB in Tax Credits.

The Installer has to provide Technical Data and Certification of the installation to the ERC, then if approved they will advise PEA/MEA accordingly to I presume, adjust the Meter!

This is all very complicated for me, so if anyone has further information or can explain clearer, please do.

(I posed these questions to Gemini AI and received the above information which sounds plausible).

Thanks.

1 hour ago, JBChiangRai said:

That’s why I said the inverter has to be PEA approved.

There is no way a PEA approved inverter can keep the power lines live during a power cut. It’s impossible to make it do that no matter how or who installs it.

Also, it is my understanding that if there is a grid outage then your grid tied inverter will also stop resulting in no house power.

If that is not always the case then please respond.

AH the game is starting in Thailand. SO how much you get for supplying back? 50 centang?

MAybe later on, you have to pay for delivering it back ! Thats already happening in "my country".

We started with running back meters (1on1 payback) and now people must pay.

They are also able to switch of the inverter for returning electricity.

It is possible to communicate with inverter and shut it down and that happened already in beginning.

People were flabbergasted not being able to deliver to grid, surprise.

It started really when Russia invaded Ukraine. Then came the dip, as rules changed.

However now back in putting up solar panels, due to war Iran.

But still with many rules extra and you should better "eat" all your electricity yourself ! Very wise to have battery, I know they cost.

Maybe better some batteries placed instead of a real big one. If the big one is broken all is gone, if just one battery is broken in a range of batteries, then only a tinier one to buy and replace. OK you need space.

Also dont have a super big installation for generating electricity. See what you use.

Be aware the hotter the installation gets (sun) the less electricity (efficiency) and of course, once in a while clean surface of panels.

There are some times, Thailand is covered with smog, smoke and it ends up on your panels.

Follow up stories of this would be nice, see how Thailand is doing it.

There is a guy on AN "wild" about solar installations.

Bandersnatch, https://aseannow.com/topic/1385346-solar-and-storage-live-show-thailand/#comment-20361809

Also he made a blog , nice to see , https://ecohousethailand.com/

41 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

Also, it is my understanding that if there is a grid outage then your grid tied inverter will also stop resulting in no house power.

If that is not always the case then please respond.

I have some batteries as backup, but they only get used if the grid goes out. Most modern inverters will export to the grid when they can, but just supply to the home when no grid.

9 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well of course they will not offer you more than what they sell it for themselves, which in my area is about 4 baht/unit. Are you able to determine how much energy you would likely have over to sell each mnth?

Yeah of course I know that they don't want to pay more. But if they want more electricity they have to do it.

Since rhe demand is different from day to day and so is the solar rays it's difficult to calculate how much to sell. At the moment I have to buy more electricity than the solar panels produce since our aircons are working hard.