{"id":633,"date":"2022-09-28T01:35:10","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T01:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/default.houzez.co\/?p=633"},"modified":"2022-11-29T08:38:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-29T08:38:22","slug":"the-essential-chiang-mai-renters-toolkit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeinchiangmai.com\/th\/the-essential-chiang-mai-renters-toolkit\/","title":{"rendered":"The Essential Chiang Mai Renter’s Toolkit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This toolkit is designed to help renters in Chiang Mai to better understand how to live in their homes and be a resource to the community. For any handyman, repair, electrical, or plumbing work please contact Expat Homes\u2019 maintenance department<\/a>.<\/p>\n

DISCLAIMER<\/b>: <\/span>Each house, condo, and townhouse in Chiang Mai is different and will have its own unique systems, setups, and quirks. This manual is written as a general guide and may or may not apply to your home.<\/p>\n

\"Paying<\/h2>\n

PAYING RENT<\/h2>\n

Most homeowners in Thailand prefer to have rent directly deposited into their personal Thai bank accounts. This means the foreign renter must find a way to deposit cash or make a bank transfer directly into the Landlord\u2019s bank account every month. The following is our recommended methods for paying rent each month:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Thai Bank Account Transfer<\/strong> – You can transfer money from your personal Thai bank account into the homeowner\u2019s Thai bank account. It takes less than a minute and you only need the account name, number, and the name of the bank. This does require that you have a personal Thai bank account and access to it via browser or an app.<\/li>\n
  2. Wise (formerly Transferwise)<\/strong> – Wise allows you to transfer money from your bank account in your home country to any Thai bank account for a relatively small fee with excellent exchange rates. You can enter in the exact amount you want the receiver to get and the application will back calculate the exact foreign currency amount you need to send. You will need the recipient\u2019s full name, address, routing number, account number, account type (possibly), and recipient bank’s BIC\/SWIFT code (possibly). Use this link<\/a> to get a free first transfer of up to 500 GBP.<\/li>\n
  3. Cash Deposit<\/strong> – If you have a way to get cash, you can go into any bank in Thailand and tell them you want to make a deposit. Use the homeowner\u2019s bank account info from your lease agreement to make the deposit. Be sure to save your receipt and take a picture of it for your records.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    *Thai banks have very limited reporting when it comes to who deposited or transferred money into your account. It can be difficult to connect a deposit to the person who sent the money unless you have a receipt.<\/p>\n

     <\/h2>\n

    \"Electric<\/h2>\n

    ELECTRICITY<\/h2>\n

    Electricity is provided by the Provincial Electric Authority also called PEA. The bills arrive on a monthly basis in the mailbox of the house and can typically be paid at 7-11 (if it has a barcode). If you have a Thai bank account they can also be paid using the PEA Plus application<\/span><\/a>. Sometimes homeowners set up a direct draft so the bill is automatically paid out of their bank account each month, and then they ask their tenant to reimburse this amount. Your bill will vary from each month depending on usage, house appliance efficiency, etc.<\/p>\n

    Thailand is on a 220 volt system which may differ from your country of origin such as the USA that uses 110 volts. Be sure to check your electronics to see if it accepts 110-220 inputs or if it\u2019s strictly 110. If it\u2019s strictly 110 you will need a step down converter to turn the voltage into 110. Be careful because simple plug adapters won\u2019t convert the voltage to 110 but just change the shape of your plug into something that works in Thailand.<\/p>\n

     <\/h2>\n

    \"Water<\/h2>\n

    WATER\/PLUMBING<\/h2>\n

    Most houses in Thailand get their water from the Provincial Water Authority known as the PWA. You will typically receive a bill from PWA in your mailbox every month that you can pay at any 7-11. Alternatively your neighborhood may have a water well which distributes water to the houses within the neighborhood. If your water comes from the neighborhood well you will get an invoice in your mailbox. You can usually pay for this at the neighborhood office.<\/p>\n

    If you want to pay your water bill online here is PWA’s official Line<\/u><\/a>. You might need a friend who can read Thai to help you set it up.<\/p>\n

     <\/h2>\n

    \"Neighborhood<\/h2>\n

    NEIGHBORHOOD FEES<\/h2>\n

    Each neighborhood (also called a muu baan in Thai) has a common fee. This fee covers things like trash, security guards, street cleaning, and other neighborhood amenities. Occasionally this fee also includes things like fitness and swimming pool access, but most don\u2019t include these things. Sometimes the common fee is covered in the contract and paid by the homeowner, but many times it is paid separately by the tenant. This fee is paid at the neighborhood office.<\/p>\n

     <\/h2>\n

    \"Trash\"<\/h2>\n

    TRASH<\/h2>\n

    Trash pickup is usually handled by the neighborhood juristic office and comes 1-2 times per week. The trash fee is typically covered as part of the neighborhood fee mentioned earlier. You can put your trash into black trash bags and leave them in a receptacle in front of the house.<\/p>\n

    \"Lawn<\/p>\n

    LAWN\/GARDEN CARE<\/h2>\n

    You will want to have a plan for keeping your lawn\/garden trimmed regularly. Grass, bushes, and trees grow very quickly in Thailand and need to be regularly maintained. A good rule of thumb is to trim the garden twice a month during the rainy season and once a month the rest of the year. You can usually find gardeners in your area or reach out to Expat Homes for lawn\/garden service.<\/p>\n

     <\/h2>\n

    \"Pest<\/h2>\n

    PEST CONTROL<\/h2>\n

    Usually homeowners will be responsible for termites but don\u2019t see other pests such as ants, cockroaches, mice, etc. as their problem. Thai homeowners will also tend to hire pest control services that use harsh chemicals. Many times renters want to hire their own pest control services so they can control what chemicals, if any, are being used.<\/p>\n

    \"Cooking<\/p>\n

    COOKING GAS<\/h2>\n

    If your stove\/oven has a gas range then you will need to use a propane tank to supply cooking gas for the home. Sometimes the property will already have a tank that you use and refill by calling the local shop listed on the tank. Refills can be delivered quickly to the house and are swapped out with the empty tank. If there is no gas tank at the property you can order one from a local shop in your area, pay the deposit for the tank, and refill as necessary. When you are finished with this propane tank you can return it to the shop with your original receipt and get the deposit back. Expat Homes provides help in setting up these services as well.<\/p>\n

    \"Drinking<\/p>\n

    DRINKING WATER<\/h2>\n

    Aside from the tap water that comes in from the city you will need to find a solution for clean drinking water. Some people rely on water delivery services, while others prefer to purchase a filtration system that filters the tap water to make it drinkable. Expat Homes can provide assistance in setting up either of these two drinking water systems.<\/p>\n