Thai Address System

[McGinty]

Does anyone understand how the address system works here, or more importantly, do the Thai people understand it?

My address is ??/?? Moo ? I do not have a Soi number. I receive all my mail, so at least the Postman understands it.

If I needed to call an ambulance or a fire engine etc. do you think they would be able to find me from my address details?

McGinty

[lazeeboy]

if you give your adress to pizza hut they know where you are ,dont know how but they do my adress is 87/17 the houses either side (built at different times0YOU WOULD THINK 89/17....85/17 ,,,NOT EVEN CLOSE

[Lost in LOS]

Does anyone understand how the address system works here, or more importantly, do the Thai people understand it?

My address is ??/?? Moo ? I do not have a Soi number. I receive all my mail, so at least the Postman understands it.

If I needed to call an ambulance or a fire engine etc. do you think they would be able to find me from my address details?

McGinty

sure, but not so sure about the time factor

[NightOwl888]

I thought I read somewhere that the addresses (at least in Bangkok) are decided by the developer that subdivides the land. Therefore, you can have numbers incrementing on one side of the street and decrementing on the other depending on how the particular developer decides to do it. Then again, they don't even have to put them in order if they don't want to. Someone correct me if I am wrong about this.

I know that in Japan the addresses are given according to the order which they are built CHRONOLOGICALLY. That system is even more confusing, since #300 and #301 can be several blocks apart, and only people who have lived there a long time will know approximately when a building was built.

[taxexile]

the numbers are based on the addresses of the original land plots , so if a large land plot becomes divided and then subdivided down the years , with new sois being built to access these plots and houses being constructed , then the numbering system can seem random and chaotic.

[toptuan]

Does anyone understand how the address system works here, or more importantly, do the Thai people understand it?

My address is ??/?? Moo ? I do not have a Soi number. I receive all my mail, so at least the Postman understands it.

If I needed to call an ambulance or a fire engine etc. do you think they would be able to find me from my address details?

McGinty

A full typical address would be as follows:

NAME OF RESIDENT

HOUSE NUMBER / MOO (MOO= area of VILLAGE; in larger cities this number might be the soi or street number)

BAN (VILLAGE)

TAMBON (TOWN or SUB-DISTRICT)

AMPHOE (DISTRICT)

CHANGWAT (PROVINCE)

POSTAL CODE

Of course, there are many variations of the above, especially in the Big Mango. The first line under your name might read "97/11" or "97 MOO 11," the Tambon and Amphoe might be on the same line,etc.

But, don't feel too badly: As you suspected, the Thais even have trouble understanding it occasionally.

Edited September 8, 2008 by toptuan

[LennyW]

On one of the last developments we did we had six properties, we booked all the house numbers at the city hall when we got the first one, so they were all following in order, however, when we went back to city hall to register the last 2 we got totally different numbers for them, we were told somebody "bought" the numbers for empty land plots opposite!!! Bizzare!

[mgjackson69]

As near as I can tell, there *is* a system, but it is not designed to facilitate finding a particular location; rather, it is a system for government to label a property.

[farangtingtong]

As near as I can tell, there *is* a system, but it is not designed to facilitate finding a particular location; rather, it is a system for government to label a property.

All the streets, names, sois, tambuns, amphurs things are for taxi drivers, WOW, door2door, etc.

If it's about mail, the combination:

house-number, moo and zip code.

Mail from abroad might have 'Thailand' included.

My very old aunt usually the following address:

(My name)

112/107, Moo 10,

20150 Chonburi

Thailand

Never a problem. People who sent me cards with full addresses still didn't arrive.

Edited September 8, 2008 by farangtingtong

[Pushit]

Address numbers in streets and sois' are assigned chronological order in the street/soi regardless of its' position.

[Cuban]

To take an example address above:

112/107, Moo 10, *

20150 Chonburi

Thailand

112 is the number of the plot of land.

107 is the house number on that plot of land.

Moo 10 is the area. (Each Moo is a pretty large area - I have seen a map of the Moos around Pattaya - just looked for a map online - can't find it - I think I saw it in a Real Estate Agent's booklet. About 10-15 Moos that cover the greater Pattaya area - to get a rought idea you could Google various well known locations - Beach Road is Moo9, Up towards Naklua is Moo 6, sometimes if an address is on one of the main highways it will be quoted as near marker post 'Km 142' for example.)

(Sometimes there is a Soi or Road mentioned - but the plot number 'should' identify the location within the Moo.)

The rest is pretty obvious. Although I refer to this earlier thread.

* The house next door is addressed "112/108, Moo 10," etc.

HTH

[LennyW]

To take an example address above:

112/107, Moo 10, *

20150 Chonburi

Thailand

112 is the number of the plot of land.

107 is the house number on that plot of land.

Moo 10 is the area. (Each Moo is a pretty large area - I have seen a map of the Moos around Pattaya - just looked for a map online - can't find it - I think I saw it in a Real Estate Agent's booklet. About 10-15 Moos that cover the greater Pattaya area - to get a rought idea you could Google various well known locations - Beach Road is Moo9, Up towards Naklua is Moo 6, sometimes if an address is on one of the main highways it will be quoted as near marker post 'Km 142' for example.)

(Sometimes there is a Soi or Road mentioned - but the plot number 'should' identify the location within the Moo.)

The rest is pretty obvious. Although I refer to this earlier thread.

* The house next door is addressed "112/108, Moo 10," etc.

HTH

You would expect that to be the case, but as per my previous post #7, i can assure you this is not always the case!!

[grahamhc]

I thought I read somewhere that the addresses (at least in Bangkok) are decided by the developer that subdivides the land. Therefore, you can have numbers incrementing on one side of the street and decrementing on the other depending on how the particular developer decides to do it. Then again, they don't even have to put them in order if they don't want to. Someone correct me if I am wrong about this.

I know that in Japan the addresses are given according to the order which they are built CHRONOLOGICALLY. That system is even more confusing, since #300 and #301 can be several blocks apart, and only people who have lived there a long time will know approximately when a building was built.

The explanation I was given a while ago, for Pattaya at least, was that the "Main" plot number was allocated when THE FIRST BUILDING ROOF WAS FITTED. Then the units within the complex were allocated /** numbers, again based on time and not location.

For example, there is a village that I visit which has about 140 houses (404/*** M9). The numbers are in groups as the develoment was completed. In one soi, there are 3 batches of numbers on the same contiuous row of townhouses. They have a map at the Vilage entrance so visitors can find where they look for.

Soi 13/1 Yamato have (Several) later "Main" numbers than Soi 13/2 Post Office, as the town extended.

With regard to BANGKOK, I read an article in the Bangkok Post a FEW YEARS AGO that the Administration were going to RENUMBER the houses in sequencial order, like most other places. Starting with the Sukhumvit area to help Businesses, visitors and the postal service.

They proposed numbering as 1: Main Road; 2: Soi Number of main road, 3: Building number. If there is a Sub-soi off main soi (Like they english word Yard), i recall it is called a "Moo". but may be wrong here.

[McGinty]

To take an example address above:

112/107, Moo 10,

20150 Chonburi

Thailand

But do you think an ambulance would find you if you quoted this address?

[Cuban]

But do you think an ambulance would find you if you quoted this address?

Depending on which service were providing the ambulance I might trust them to find their way back to their prefered hospital. If the matter were urgent and important (why else call for such help) I would either use my own transport * to move the patient or get 'helpers' to go and stand by the main road to direct the ambulance in.

In cases were you can not communicate clearly your address either find a native speaker or make a lot of noise - someone will come just to shut you up.

* Yes I did say move the patient myself, I have done so in Thailand before. The first step from the rural area where the accident occured to a nearby hospital and then to a larger regional hospital when the first admitted that they were not equipped to deal with the injury - broken leg.

[NanLaew]

But do you think an ambulance would find you if you quoted this address?

No. I built a new house in Udon and whenever I was getting stuff delivered, it required loads of '2nd lane opposite the school, just past the traffic lights, go left around the lake, then turn right at the temple and we are about half-way up that street on the left before the ice factory' sort of instructions. I have also given up on the locals ability to read a simple map written in Thai. The last effort with a beautifully annotated map from google earth was a waste of the 20 minutes it took to create it.

Better buy a defibrillator, eh?

[grahamhc]

No. I built a new house in Udon >>>>>>>>>>.

I have also given up on the locals ability to read a simple map written in Thai. The last effort with a beautifully annotated map from google earth was a waste of the 20 minutes it took to create it.

Whenever you buy anything here that needs delivery, they ask you to draw a map. So I created a "Google Earth" map with the main roads and that leading off the main road to my house highlighted in Yellow.

My "Google Earth" map colour image works well where I live, as I live in Pattaya's main town area and they know most the roads, so they only need the bit off the main road.

[thaihome]

But do you think an ambulance would find you if you quoted this address?

You seem to assume an ambulance would come to your house. Probably better, and certainly much, much faster to have someone take you...

TH

[McGinty]

But do you think an ambulance would find you if you quoted this address?

You seem to assume an ambulance would come to your house.

TH

I have seen a couple of ambulances in the area, so I assumed they were going to someone's house.