Electricity & Home Appliances in Thailand

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Electricity & Home Appliances in Thailand

Electricity in Thailand is produced mostly by a state owned, but partially privatised, monopoly, EGAT (Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand). Production methods include hydro electric, gas turbine, oil fired, and coal fired (lignite) power stations. Thailand does not have a nuclear power industry.

• EGAT website (in English)

Power Distribution

EGAT sells the energy output from its own generation facilities, and from smaller private power sources, to two state-owned distributing authorities. These then deliver electricity to domestic and industrial users across the country: in Bangkok the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) is the distributor, while the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) sells electricity in the rest of Thailand.

• The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA)
  At: 30 Soi Chidlom, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok 10330
  Tel: 02 254 9550
  Fax: 02 253 1424
• A full list of the addresses and telephone numbers for MEA offices in Bangkok is provided by the Ministry of the Interior: Click here
• The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA)
  At: 200 Ngam Wong Wan Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900
  Tel: 02 589 0100 1
  Fax: 02 589 4850 1
• A full list of the addresses and telephone numbers for PEA offices in each province is provided by the Ministry of the Interior: Click here

Power Voltage and Frequency

Domestic power in Thailand is 220 volts AC at 50 hertz (220V/50Hz).

All electrical and electronic equipment designed for use in the UK or EU should work in Thailand, although it may be necessary to change the plug, or use a travel adapter.

Note: Electrical and electronic equipment from the US or Japan may not work in Thailand. Plugging in some US or Japanese appliances such as hairdryers or electric razors to a Thai electrical outlet, may be a fire risk and could also permanently damage the appliance.

Some appliances, including almost all laptop computers and many desktop computers, have a switch near the power inlet labelled "110/120-220/240". Setting this switch to "220/240" will enable the device to operate as normal in Thailand.

Converters converting 220 volts to 110 volts are sold at some airports and electrical stores.

Power Outages

Thunderstorms can cause local power outages that may last anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. UPS systems with built-in surge protectors are widely used to protect desktop computers, and many large buildings have back-up generators.

Plugs and Sockets

The standard Thai power outlet is the multi standard socket, which has either two holes, Type A or Type C (no ground connector): or three (with a ground connector). Both types can accommodate both round and flat pins.

• Wikipedia has a picture of the three-pin multi standard outlet: Click here

European and American standard two-pin plugs and UK two-pin "shaver" style plugs should fit in all these outlets. Older buildings may have outlets which can only accommodate two-pin plugs with flat pins. UK and EU standard three-pin plugs will NOT fit in standard Thai power outlets, however, inexpensive travel adapters are available at all airports and electrical stores.

Warning about safety and the lack of Ground or Earth sockets

Most older buildings, and many newer ones, in Thailand do NOT have a ground line. This means that there is no earth connection, whether there are two or three pins in the power outlets. This increases the risk of serious electric shocks, particularly from appliances which use both electricity and water, such as showers, washing machines, dishwashers, and electric rice cookers.

Keep water away from electrical equipment, particularly exposed wires, plugs, sockets, and switches. Do not stand on a wet surface when using electrical equipment.

• See Wikipedia for a fuller explanation of domestic electrical systems: Click here

Television System

The standard terrestrial TV system in Thailand is PAL B. This is different to the PAL I system used in the UK, so older televisions from the UK are unlikely to work in Thailand. Older NTSC televisions from the USA will also not work.

Many newer TVs are multi-system and can accept PAL or NTSC signals. The television's user manual should include this information.

DVD Region Codes

Some DVD players are region locked, meaning that they will only play DVDs from the region where they were first used. Thailand is in DVD Region 3, along with the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan.

• For a full list of DVD regions: Click here

DVDs purchased in other regions, such as the US or UK, may not work on region-locked DVD players first used to play DVDs purchased in Thailand. Similarly, a region-locked DVD player first used to play DVDs purchased outside region 3 may refuse to play Thai DVDs.

Further Information

• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Television, Satellite & Radio Stations in Thailand
• See AngloINFO INFOrmation page on Services – Electricity, Gas & Water in Thailand