Money & daily life
Utilities, internet and moving in
Electricity, water, broadband, rubbish and the deposits to expect when you take on a home.
5 min read · Reviewed October 2026
In short
- Check whether you are on the standard electricity tariff or an owner-set rate.
- Broadband normally needs the owner’s consent and a passport, and contracts often run twelve months.
- Do a joint inventory and meter reading, with photographs, on the day you take the keys.
Electricity and water
On a purchase, meters are transferred into your name with the local authority or the electricity provider. On a rental, the meter normally stays in the owner’s name and the bill is passed on to you, so ask whether it is charged at the standard tariff or at an owner-set rate, which is common in serviced buildings and can be noticeably higher.
Internet and mobile
Fibre is widely available in cities and resort towns. Installation usually needs the owner’s consent, a passport and often a twelve-month contract. Mobile data is cheap, fast and useful as a backup, and your Thai number will be the one tied to banking apps, registration codes and reporting systems.
Deposits and handover day
- Rental deposits are commonly two months’ rent with one month in advance, although this varies by market and landlord.
- Electricity and water accounts sometimes carry their own deposits.
- A joint inventory, a meter reading and photographs of every room, signed by both sides, protect your deposit at the end of the tenancy.
Setting up home
- Rubbish collection: by the local authority, or arranged through a project service. Ask which, and when.
- Drinking water is delivered in bottles or large containers in most areas.
- Air-conditioners need servicing within the first month in a new home, and roughly twice a year afterwards.
- Ask for the building or project rules before you buy furniture that may not be allowed onto a balcony or into a common area.