I was talking to K bank today and they told me to pay repetitive bills such as TOT and Pattaya electric, I could take care of this with a one step process. Just go to their bank and fill in a short form and it will all be taken care of in two weeks. The clerk's English was not good so I wonder if someone can confirm my understanding

-- you do not have to visit the utility company and get forms and then return the bank with the forms from the utility companies (for example. TOT and electric)

-- all you do is fill out the bank's form and give it to K bank, and then the bills are paid AUTOMATICALLY for as long as you have the bank account (or cancel the order), again no need for special trips to utility offices

-- you don't have to take any action to pay the monthly bills such as go to an ATM to key in a payment, or pay it online; rather, once you place your order at Kbank it is debited automatically every billing cycle

Is my understanding correct? Because if so, almost too good to be true.

I have the same with Bkk Bank, works perfect although it did need paperwork from the organizations to be paid (electric, phone, water). Apart from the running around to get the paperwork, the process was quite simple!

From Kasikorns web site:

"Public Utility Payment

Take care of all your utility bill in one convenient place, with KBANK Public Utility Payment service, making your life easier. With a number of options to choose from, including automatic deduction from your KBANK Savings or Current Account, KASIKORNBANK helps you take the hassle out of your bill payments."

I set it up two years ago and had to get the forms from the utility companies, go to the bank and then return the forms to the utility companies. This was a few years ago and it looks like it's easier now.

Same thing with Siam City Bank. I set up auto pay for phone and electric three years ago when I bought a condo.

Out here in the sticks the electricty man calls and gives me the bill which I pay in cash, as does the water company and the trash man (30 baht a month). The mobile phone bills I pay in the post office in the village and we don't have a landline so thats not a problem.

I remember in Bangkok you could pay most bills at the local 7/11 unless it was really past the sell by date when you had to go to the utility company. I actually paid for my Air Asia flight to Penang last year in the 7/11 as well. Easy peasy.

You can either instruct Kasikorn Bank to pay your utility bills (direct debit) or you can make the payment on line with internet banking. As has been said, you will need to complete the utility company's paperwork to instigate the former but not the latter.

Note: Or that's how it happens in Surin

Very straightforward with K Cyberbanking, no need to fill in paper

forms or even visit the bank.

Naka.

OK, thanks, but I am still confused.

K Bank told me clearly and repeatedly no need to visit the utility companies at all to do the automatic payments. Just fill out their paperwork in their office and it would go through in two weeks.

Regarding online pay, what if you are out of town and don't have to bill? How do you know how much the bill is for? Can you logon to TOT and the Pattaya power company to see your bill amount and status?

Note to a mod:

Can you move this topic to the Economy/Money section?

OK, thanks, but I am still confused.

K Bank told me clearly and repeatedly no need to visit the utility companies at all to do the automatic payments. Just fill out their paperwork in their office and it would go through in two weeks.

Regarding online pay, what if you are out of town and don't have to bill? How do you know how much the bill is for? Can you logon to TOT and the Pattaya power company to see your bill amount and status?

When I ordered my electricity meter from the power company I received at the same time a form I was supposed to give to the bank if I wanted to pay by Direct Debit. But even though I forgot to bring the form with me to the bank that was no problem, I just filled out a new form the bank supplied me with. So yes, a visit to the bank should be enough.

Sophon

OK, thanks, but I am still confused.

K Bank told me clearly and repeatedly no need to visit the utility companies at all to do the automatic payments. Just fill out their paperwork in their office and it would go through in two weeks.

Regarding online pay, what if you are out of town and don't have to bill? How do you know how much the bill is for? Can you logon to TOT and the Pattaya power company to see your bill amount and status?

You have two choices.

You can pay online, as a one time transaction each month, but to do this you need to know how much to pay.

However if you are going to be out of town then automatic direct debit is what you want, arrange it at your bank.

Naka.

I think I can clarify the confusion. Have BKK Bank and autopayment of electricity and phone.

When doing the electricity docs I went to their offices. When doing the phone docs the bank said they could do it all at bank, BUT it might take much longer to start than if I went to True also to set it up.

So it is a cover my butt thing that the utilities companies prefer both - ensuring that they get details right, and that mail delays Etc. from bank to them do not delay preparations.

Cheers!

Company will send bills (mail or in person) with last months receipt several weeks before payment is due with how much will be deducted on what date.

15 Years ago TOT would not provide forms to bank so you had to visit them in some back office where they tried to ignore you until you got the forms. Water/electric and TRUE were not a problem as bank had forms available.

another take on this, if you have an AMEX card, you can get your bills charged to there first for things like your mobile and other phone bills and UBC. You get a small discount to your bill, and bonus thai FF miles to boot.

http://www.americanexpress.com/thailand/en...e/autopay.shtml

I set up direct debit with the electric boys last August using my K-Bank account.

I had to get the form from the electric office with my meter number on it and fill out both sides giving one to K-Bank and the other to the electric co. The bank stamped one copy and told me to return it to the electric co., the other copy was for K-Bank staff to have the details.

K-Bank wanted/needed my authorization and the elecric co. needed to know which bank and account no. to debit making it necessary to go to both places.

So far it has gone according to plan.

another take on this, if you have an AMEX card, you can get your bills charged to there first for things like your mobile and other phone bills and UBC. You get a small discount to your bill, and bonus thai FF miles to boot. http://www.americanexpress.com/thailand/en...e/autopay.shtml

I do this also with my Thai AMEX card. The miles accrued are doubled. Adds up fast!

Update from K-bank.

Turns out the person who told me I could do it all at K-bank is out on leave and a person of more authority is helping me with doing it the old fashioned way. This does indeed involve getting the forms (if K-bank doesn't have which they don't for electric) from the utility companies, getting stamps and authorization at the bank, then back again to return the forms to the utility companies. Happy happy joy joy. I knew it was too good to be true.

I have this with TOT but had to get a form off TOT, then go to the bank, then back to TOT. Siam say you can pay TOT online but that is <deleted> as they don't even have TOT on their drop down list of payees.