Found A House..so..

[eek]

Need some help.

Ive found a house and as ive only ever rented an apartment in Chiang Mai, i have no idea what to do about sorting out my bills etc.

Can anyone please give me some tips.

Thanks so much!

[jdinasia]

Most likely the bills will remain in the owner's name and will either be delivered to their mailing address or to the house you are renting. You pay the bills

[Priceless]

If you'd need/like to, it is a fairly straightforward process to set up direct debit for things like electricity, water, telephone+broadband and so on. PM me if you'd like assistance.

/ Priceless

[FM505]

If you'd need/like to, it is a fairly straightforward process to set up direct debit for things like electricity, water, telephone+broadband and so on. PM me if you'd like assistance.

/ Priceless

I rent a house and the owner pays neighborhood association fees (grounds maintenance and trash pick up). I pay a group of people to take care of the yard six days a week. Water bill comes to the house but my usage is under the minimum so there is no charge. This surprised me and after several months of hearing the same quote from differing 7/11 clerks I don't bother with it anymore. Electric also comes to the house under owner's name and I pay it promptly. No cable television. No land line telephone. Using a USB wireless connection for my internet so I pay dtac for this. That's all I know... Cheers.

[getgoin]

I wouldn't worry about them. They will find you.

[Thaifan2]

I wouldn't worry about them. They will find you.

Or some service will suddenly be cut off ,and then you know you should have paid .

[thaibear1]

I wouldn't worry about them. They will find you.

Or some service will suddenly be cut off ,and then you know you should have paid .

oh yes, special for electicity; you forget or you are abroad, big fun if you have deep frozen products in your deep freezer. Hope you have a good neighbour to which you can leave the money to be at time in case you travel in the due periode

[Donnyboy]

If you'd need/like to, it is a fairly straightforward process to set up direct debit for things like electricity, water, telephone+broadband and so on. PM me if you'd like assistance.

/ Priceless

I rent a house and the owner pays neighborhood association fees (grounds maintenance and trash pick up). I pay a group of people to take care of the yard six days a week. Water bill comes to the house but my usage is under the minimum so there is no charge. This surprised me and after several months of hearing the same quote from differing 7/11 clerks I don't bother with it anymore. Electric also comes to the house under owner's name and I pay it promptly. No cable television. No land line telephone. Using a USB wireless connection for my internet so I pay dtac for this. That's all I know... Cheers.

afaik, if the water bill is under 200 baht, theres no charge

i do the gardens @ our house but im thinking it may need some major trimming with me being away 3months this year

[Donnyboy]

oh yeah, pay the electric within 10 days before you have to trot down to the PEA office and pay a penalty fee

[sorensen]

You can pay most of your utility bills at any 7/11 in Bangkok, I assume you can do the same in Chiang Mai.

[Bagwan]

I wouldn't worry about them. They will find you.

Or some service will suddenly be cut off ,and then you know you should have paid .

Which is why I pay water and electricity by direct debit.

One scam I avoided was in changing the bills into my name. The Electricity, Water and TOT all wanted to charge me money, each about 1700 baht. I refused to pay and left the accounts in the name of the original house owner. If I was so minded I could skip the coop and they would spend their time looking for somebody who left for Europe 9 years ago.

I wish you good fortune and happiness in your new nest.

Edited January 19, 2010 by Bagwan

[PeaceBlondie]

You never know. We didn't pay the land line; it was deducted directly from the landlady's husband's account. He never noticed for 2.5 years....retired police general.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Eek,

Agree with the other comments here about leaving the bills in the name of whoever's name they are in now.

You can pay the water and electricity bills at any 7-11 in Chiang Mai very easily. But if you let the electricity bill go into "overtime" : it's our current understanding you must go to the "Ban Din" main electrical office on the old Chiang Mai - Lamphun Road south of the Kawila Military Compound and pay in person.

Sometimes we go to Ban Din, and pay directly, anyway since it's so close to where we live, and we bicycle past there often.

For three years in the house we rent, we never had a monthly phone bill of 100 baht from TOT : then two years ago, the bills started coming. We usually let those pile-up for three months or so and then pay them at Airport Plaza. We use the land line here only for internet, using a cell phone for all calls : it's partly a way to avoid talking on the telephone

Good luck, and Happy Housewarming !

best, ~o:37;

[Tanaka]

You can pay your bills at any 7/11 anywhere. But they will charge you for the service, 20 baht/bill.

[JusMe]

Which is why I pay water and electricity by direct debit.

One scam I avoided was in changing the bills into my name. The Electricity, Water and TOT all wanted to charge me money, each about 1700 baht. I refused to pay and left the accounts in the name of the original house owner.

eek, you said you'd found a house. Are you renting or own it yourself?

As has been pointed out, you can organise paying by direct debit from your bank account. Took a bit of running around for me to do it, but I now know that I won't miss any bill, no matter where I am or what I'm doing. Forms from TOT, water and electric company, back and forth to the bank, but it's all done. I spent so much time in the water company's office and signed so many forms that I couldn't read, that I think they now own the rights to my first born! But all the accounts are in my name, bills are delivered to my house, and automatically debited from my bank account.

I bought my house, in a gated community, and a lot of places here are run by the management company. So the bills are in their name. Different accounting and billing for a company than an individual. I had been paying between 200 & 300 baht per month for water; I changed the account into my own name and the account type changed, so my latest bill was only 85 baht, low enough to be completely covered by the government subsidy. I think if your bill is higher than 100 baht, you pay the whole thing, but anything under that line, and you pay nothing. Makes a difference if the account type is individual or company!

[IanForbes]

Just do like the Thai women do, eek, get some dumb farang to pay for it.

[Loaded]

You can pay the water and electricity bills at any 7-11 in Chiang Mai very easily. But if you let the electricity bill go into "overtime" : it's our current understanding you must go to the "Ban Din" main electrical office on the old Chiang Mai - Lamphun Road south of the Kawila Military Compound and pay in person.

As o37 said you can pay at 7/11 or the main electrical office opposite the farang cemetery. If you need to pay water, it's just before TESCO khamtieng just off the superhighway.

[MiG16]

Just do like the Thai women do, eek, get some dumb farang to pay for it.

as a Thai woman, Ive always paid my own bills

and if I were to need favours with someone getting to the right place to pay it for me, farang or not, I wouldnt use a dumb one, Id use a smart one.

now, I think the OP asked for real practical advice on the logistics of going about paying utilities, lets keep the discussion on that, shall we?

my apology Eek, for engaging in the off topic aspect, but with a remark like that I had to.

[eek]

No problem Migs.

---

I should say to all, thanks so much for the advice, but looks like ill be using it in the near future rather than now. For various reasons im now back to looking! But the advice is still valid and much appreciated. Thanks so much.

[LadyHeather]

I won't go any further than to say, what an insulting post to both Thai women and eek. But then perhaps he didn't think it through and realize how degrading and insulting it is.

As for the bills, you can also have your electric bill deducted from your bank account, I opened a bank account just for this purpose, it is only used for bill paying. Telephone bills can be paid this way as well. If you go into your bank with your first bill they can sort it out for you.

[brianinbangkok]

You can pay your bills at any 7/11 anywhere. But they will charge you for the service, 20 baht/bill.

Not 10 baht each ?

I thought it was 10 bath just like at most Thai banks.

Additionally I would like to say I have paid bills at 7-11 that next month turned out not to have actually been paid.

This has never happend to me at a Thai bank.

Additionally I would advice Eek that when you find a house and want to rent it that you pay the bills directly yourself instead of the house owner.

Somehouse owners do just like the appartments in bangkok and charge you extra on top of each bill.

Say a unit is 10 bath they will charge you 12 bath per unit.

Also have them sign papers for internet/phone/UBC if you need that at same time as you sign the rental contract.

I have had some issues over the years with owners backing out of promises they made.

Edited January 24, 2010 by brianinbangkok

[orang37]

Just do like the Thai women do, eek, get some dumb farang to pay for it.

~o:37;

Edited January 24, 2010 by orang37