Paying bills in Thailand: electricity, water, internet and phone

What this covers

Most foreigners here don’t pay bills in a banking app. Electricity is usually paid in cash at a counter such as 7-Eleven, and water is usually paid to your building’s juristic (management) office, or to the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) outside Bangkok (founder, Chiang Mai). This guide covers who you pay, where, and what to check first.

Who needs it

Anyone renting a condo, apartment or house where the bills are not included in the rent. If your rent is all-in, you can skip this.

Before you sign a lease

• Ask who bills you for electricity: the electricity authority directly (a bill in your name or the owner’s), or the landlord or building. Many Bangkok landlords charge 7 to 8 baht per unit against a government tariff of around 4.00 to 4.18 baht per unit, and the lease should say which rate you pay (Thaiger, lease guide, fetched 2026-09-28).
• Photograph the electricity and water meters on the day you get the keys, and send the photos to the agent or landlord the same day (Thaiger, lease guide, fetched 2026-09-28).

Electricity

Which authority: outside Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan (so including Chiang Mai), your supplier is the Provincial Electricity Authority, PEA (PEA, fetched 2026-09-28). Those three provinces are served by the Metropolitan Electricity Authority, MEA.

Where to pay (PEA) (PEA payment channels, fetched 2026-09-28):

• Authorised counters: Counter Service, Thailand Post, Big C, CenPay, Lotus’s and others.
• PEA front offices.
• Apps: PEA Smart Plus, TrueMoney, ShopeePay and Thai bank apps.
• Direct debit from a Thai bank account or a credit card.

Steps (the usual way):

1. Wait for the paper bill.
2. Take it to a 7-Eleven. It’s where most people in Thailand pay a bill (Thaiger, 7-Eleven guide, fetched 2026-09-28).
3. Hand over the bill and pay in cash, or scan the bill’s QR code with an app such as TrueMoney. At the counter you often can’t pay a bill by card (founder, 2026-10-01). Keep the receipt.

Counter fee: roughly 10 to 20 THB per bill at a convenience store (founder, 2026-09-30).

Paying by card: 7-Eleven accepts foreign Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay cards for purchases, but card payments have a 200 baht minimum (Thaiger, fetched 2026-09-28). That’s for buying things, not for bills: at the counter you often can’t pay a bill by card, so bring cash or scan the bill’s QR with an app such as TrueMoney (founder, 2026-10-01).

Late payment: expect disconnection after a discretionary grace period, usually around 2 weeks (founder, 2026-09-30).

Water

• Condo or apartment: water is typically paid directly to the building’s juristic office (founder, Chiang Mai). Ask the office when and how it collects.
• House with its own water meter, outside Bangkok: your supplier is the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) (founder, 2026-09-30; Bangkok itself is served by the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority, MWA). Ways to pay: a bank app scanning the bill’s QR code (not an option for DTV holders, who cannot legally hold a Thai bank account — see Money and banking); convenience stores such as 7-Eleven, Lotus’s and Big C, in cash; or the MWA or PWA apps (founder paste, 2026-09-30).

Internet and phone

• Prepaid SIM: top up at 7-Eleven, where most people top up their phone (Thaiger, fetched 2026-09-28).
• Postpaid mobile or home fibre: pay in the provider’s app, at the provider’s shop, or at an authorised counter. AIS, for example, lists bank counters, Lotus’s, Big C, Thailand Post, CenPay machines, the myAIS app, AIS Shops, bank apps and ShopeePay for AIS Fibre bills. It also says you can’t split a bill: you pay the full outstanding amount (AIS Call Center, fetched 2026-09-28).
• If internet is included in your rent, the building or landlord pays it. Confirm this in writing.

Cost

The bill itself, plus roughly 10 to 20 THB if you pay at a convenience store counter (founder, 2026-09-30).

Time needed

A short counter visit per bill.

Common pitfalls

• Assuming a card works for the bill. At the counter you often can’t pay a bill by card; bring cash, or scan the bill’s QR code with an app such as TrueMoney (founder, 2026-10-01).
• Losing the paper bill. Counters scan the barcode on it. Photograph each bill when it arrives.
• Assuming the government rate. Check the per-unit price in your lease before signing (Thaiger, fetched 2026-09-28).
• Paying the card minimum. Under 200 baht, a card won’t work at 7-Eleven (Thaiger, fetched 2026-09-28).
• Letting a bill run overdue. Disconnection follows after a discretionary period, typically about 2 weeks (founder, 2026-09-30).
• Leaving without settling. Deposits are typically returned about 30 days after you move out, once the final bills are settled (Thaiger, lease guide, fetched 2026-09-28).