Chiang Mai - Utility bills

[Caput Lupinum]

Howdy,

I'm moving to Chiang Mai from Australia in the near future and have a technical question. I'll be renting a condo but I'm wondering what happens with utilities, specifically how would I receive my utility bill for electricity, gas, cell phone? Is the bill in my name or the landlords/condo business name etc. Reason being I have an offshore bank account that will require me to update my residential address and the bank requires a certified copy of a utility bill that can be scanned and emailed to the bank to satisfy KYC requirements before I can conduct wire transfers to my new Thai bank account. I'm just thinking this could be difficult if all utilities are not in my name.

Cheers

[NancyL]

There is no one uniform practice for how the billing is handled for your utilities. It's different for different condo buildings and for different utilities. It will be very easy to start a new mobile phone, internet service or Truevisions TV account and have a contract and monthly bill in showing your name and address (maybe in Thai!) if you have a long-term visa/extension, i.e retirement, marriage or a work permit. Could be difficult to secure these services with just a tourist visa, but maybe possible, I don't know.

As for electricity -- it seems every place we've lived, a little bill is printed by the meter reader, seemingly without an owners name on it (don't know -- it's all in Thai) and put into a small box by the front door. In a condo, the meter reader does this in the condo's meter room and the office staff distributes the same little bills to the residents. To pay, you simply go to the nearest 7-11. Other utility bills can be easily paid at 7-11 stores, here too. If you don't use a mobile phone very much, you might want to investigate just buying prepaid mobile phone time and topping up the phone at 7-11, rather than being tied into a monthly contract.

[Saan]

You should watch out for condos, or their owners, that give you their bill for electricity, etc rather than the invoice from the utility company. Their charge can sometimes be double that of the utility company. Try and sort this out before you sign a lease.

[chiang mai]

If you have a lease agreement you could use that instead of your utility bill perhaps, alternatively you could take the lease agreement to your embassy here and use that to obtain a residency certificate which would satisfy the needs of your bank.

[jobin]

I had no trouble opening a Bangkok Bank account with passport and hotel receipt, but 3 years ago.

[Dante99]

I had no trouble opening a Bangkok Bank account with passport and hotel receipt, but 3 years ago.

What does that have to do with the OP's issue?

[masuk]

You mention gas. normally not allowed in condos, but maybe some.

[mesquite]

OP,

This was a problem for me a few years ago as the utility bill was in the name of the landlord. I had to contact the bank and they OK'd some type of alternate ID, can't recall what it was.

What does KYC mean?

[northernjohn]

You should watch out for condos, or their owners, that give you their bill for electricity, etc rather than the invoice from the utility company. Their charge can sometimes be double that of the utility company. Try and sort this out before you sign a lease.

In most condos either you have a meter of your own which you pay the bill for or the monthly condo charges will include it. It will be itemized separately from the rent. All condos that rent this way have a premium on the electricity. I pay 6 baht a unit the condo pays a little less than 4 baht a unit. Some condos are 8 baht and I have heard of as high as 10 baht a unit. I do not believe that price is negotiable. I could be wrong on that how ever I have never heard of any one negotiating the price down. It goes to pay for Elevators which have a high utility rate and lightening through out the premises. I do believe some are pocketing some of the extra charge.

Perhaps a copy of a lease agreement would suffice showing a damage deposit or first and last month rental.

At any rate welcome to Chiang Mai .

[Thighlander]

It is actually slightly higher than 4, currently. Condo owners pay an additional fee to management that covers elevators/security/etc..Even if you are on the government rate, it can be costly to switch it to your name. It is a very common practice to just pay the bill. They come around on about the same day every month and read the meter and immediately print out the bill, so there is no big lag time. I agree with the others; use your lease. Of my 8 bank accounts, the only ones that have my Thai address are the ones here within Thailand. I can effectively wire money here with a few clicks, because my us account is linked to bkk bank ny. Many have to do things the hard way.

[Caput Lupinum]

There is no one uniform practice for how the billing is handled for your utilities. It's different for different condo buildings and for different utilities. It will be very easy to start a new mobile phone, internet service or Truevisions TV account and have a contract and monthly bill in showing your name and address (maybe in Thai!) if you have a long-term visa/extension, i.e retirement, marriage or a work permit. Could be difficult to secure these services with just a tourist visa, but maybe possible, I don't know.

As for electricity -- it seems every place we've lived, a little bill is printed by the meter reader, seemingly without an owners name on it (don't know -- it's all in Thai) and put into a small box by the front door. In a condo, the meter reader does this in the condo's meter room and the office staff distributes the same little bills to the residents. To pay, you simply go to the nearest 7-11. Other utility bills can be easily paid at 7-11 stores, here too. If you don't use a mobile phone very much, you might want to investigate just buying prepaid mobile phone time and topping up the phone at 7-11, rather than being tied into a monthly contract.

Thanks everyone for the input. If I take out a mobile phone/internet contract with a local Thai provider, do they issue a monthly bill to your email which has your address on it which could be printed off? This would appear the easiest solution. I'll be staying in Thailand on an ED visa. I've asked my bank and they're being finicky about it stressing that a utility bill with my name and address is required. Not willing to accept a lease agreement

Does a residency certificate have your address written on it? This could be another option

KYC=Know Your Customer

[Dante99]

You might confirm with your bank what they mean by "certified copy", who is supposed to certify? You can get a lawyer who is a Notary to do it here but can't think of another way. They will probably need a translation too and who will they accept as translator? Sounds messy and may be but can be done.

yes a residency certificate would have your address on it

[masuk]

Try ThaiexpatTV. I've no commercial interest, but enjoy good programs, news and documentaries mostly free of guns, violence etc. and good world news. Seems to be quite cheap at ฿600 per month.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

get yourself a 3bb internet line

easiest util for a foreigner to get in their own name

sometimes they want a year up front (about 7k)

bill arrives in post each month

[Caput Lupinum]

You might confirm with your bank what they mean by "certified copy", who is supposed to certify? You can get a lawyer who is a Notary to do it here but can't think of another way. They will probably need a translation too and who will they accept as translator? Sounds messy and may be but can be done.

yes a residency certificate would have your address on it

A lawyer who is a notary is acceptable

[AnotherOneAmerican]

You might confirm with your bank what they mean by "certified copy", who is supposed to certify? You can get a lawyer who is a Notary to do it here but can't think of another way. They will probably need a translation too and who will they accept as translator? Sounds messy and may be but can be done.

yes a residency certificate would have your address on it

A lawyer who is a notary is acceptable

just to point out that would be a notarized copy

[Thighlander]

get yourself a 3bb internet line

easiest util for a foreigner to get in their own name

sometimes they want a year up front (about 7k)

bill arrives in post each month

I only paid 6 months up front, but had to sign a 1 year contract with a 5000 THB termination fee. You will start getting bills right away, with a zero balance, and you will be given a contract at the office, when you sign up. Free install was nice, and I bought their router for 650, which was programmed for me, so I didn't need a windows computer to set up my wi-fi.

Sounds to me a little bit like you got a bank....just ditch them. Rules vary from bank to bank, here, also. Same with utility companies, as far as who can do what with what type of visa in whose name, etc..It's been pretty well established on this forum that BKK Bank and Krungsri are farang friendly, SCB sort of.....If you are really above the table, just get an account here....first 20,000 THB in interest is tax free. I know a minute amount about taxes in OZ, but I do have to report bank accounts with more than 20,000 usd here, to the IRS in America, or could face a pretty stiff penalty. They've got big fish to fry, though (besides the non-profits they've been absorbed with)....

WETV is only 350 per month, and they will give you free install and bills in the mail.......might be easiest of the bunch, as people are fleeing to internet based programming.

[NancyL]

There is no one uniform practice for how the billing is handled for your utilities. It's different for different condo buildings and for different utilities. It will be very easy to start a new mobile phone, internet service or Truevisions TV account and have a contract and monthly bill in showing your name and address (maybe in Thai!) if you have a long-term visa/extension, i.e retirement, marriage or a work permit. Could be difficult to secure these services with just a tourist visa, but maybe possible, I don't know.

As for electricity -- it seems every place we've lived, a little bill is printed by the meter reader, seemingly without an owners name on it (don't know -- it's all in Thai) and put into a small box by the front door. In a condo, the meter reader does this in the condo's meter room and the office staff distributes the same little bills to the residents. To pay, you simply go to the nearest 7-11. Other utility bills can be easily paid at 7-11 stores, here too. If you don't use a mobile phone very much, you might want to investigate just buying prepaid mobile phone time and topping up the phone at 7-11, rather than being tied into a monthly contract.

Thanks everyone for the input. If I take out a mobile phone/internet contract with a local Thai provider, do they issue a monthly bill to your email which has your address on it which could be printed off? This would appear the easiest solution. I'll be staying in Thailand on an ED visa. I've asked my bank and they're being finicky about it stressing that a utility bill with my name and address is required. Not willing to accept a lease agreement

Does a residency certificate have your address written on it? This could be another option

KYC=Know Your Customer

Just checked all our bills for internet, mobile phones, etc. Yes, some of them come via the internet. Yes, they all contain our name and address. But, guess what! In every case -- the address is in Thai!

It would seem that a certificate of residency from your consulate is the way to go for what seems to most of us to be a rather strange requirement. Normally I don't agree with Thighlander on much, but I have to agree with him on this. I think the OP is trying to do something the "hard way".

[mesquite]

The OP is just trying to comply with the bank's requirements. The bank is making it hard.

OP I would just go with an internet provider or cell phone service with the account in your name. Does the bank say it must be in English? If not send it to them as is.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Caput Lupinum]

I've never had any issue with my bank (which is rare these days) prior to this and I'm sure I'll eventually get around this. People have given me enough info to supply my bank to find an answer to my query and for that I'm grateful.