Most Thai homes that cook with gas use a steel LPG cylinder delivered by a local gas shop. You phone the shop, it brings a full cylinder, connects it and takes the empty one away. In the Bangkok area a 15 kg cylinder was listed at 423 baht including delivery in September 2026.
Bottled gas is ordinary in Thailand: street-food stalls, restaurants and many houses and townhouses cook on it. For a newcomer the system is simple once you know three things: the first cylinder costs a deposit as well as the gas, the shop does the connecting, and a cylinder that looks old or damaged should be refused. This page covers ordering, prices, checks and what to do if you smell gas. It is for renters and long-stay residents; it does not explain how to fit or repair gas equipment, which is a job for the supplier.
LPG cooking gas in Thailand: the essentials
- Household sizes
- 4 kg, 13.5 kg, 15 kg and 48 kg cylinders
- Listed price, 15 kg
- 423 baht, Bangkok area, delivery within 5 km included (EPPO data, 17 September 2026)
- First purchase
- Pay a cylinder deposit and get a deposit receipt
- Cylinder standard
- Thai Industrial Standard TIS 27 (mandatory)
- Fire, gas leak with flames
- 199
- Complaints: shop or cylinder
- Department of Energy Business 0 2794 4307; consumer board OCPB 1166
Ordering a gas cylinder from the local shop
Every neighborhood has a gas shop, often a small shophouse with cylinders stacked outside, and many general stores sell gas too. Phone or call in, give your address and the brand and size you want, and the shop delivers by motorbike or pickup. Save the number on your phone, or stick the shop's label to the cylinder as many households do, so you can reorder when the gas runs out. A neighbor, the landlord or the condo security guard can usually tell you which shop serves your street, and our guide to how Thai addresses work helps when you describe where you live.
The Department of Energy Business (DOEB) advises buying refills from the same shop, or from an agent of your cylinder's brand, and asking for a receipt each time. Cylinders belong to the brand, not to you, so a shop of a different brand may not take yours in exchange.
If you are renting, ask first. A condo or apartment building may have house rules on gas cylinders in the units, and in a furnished house the cylinder may already belong to the owner. Our guide to renting a condo or house covers what to agree before you sign.
Sizes and what the gas costs
The Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) publishes retail prices for household cylinders by brand. Its data for Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani and Samut Prakan, last updated on 17 September 2026, listed:
| Cylinder | Typical use | Listed price (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 kg | Small single burner, camping | About ฿122–189, by brand |
| 15 kg | The standard home cylinder | ฿423 at the main brands |
| 48 kg | Restaurants and large kitchens | About ฿1,258–1,483, by brand |
EPPO also lists a 13.5 kg size. The prices include delivery within 5 km but not carrying the cylinder up a high-rise building, so a shop may ask a little more for that. Outside the Bangkok area, prices differ by province. The figure is a listed retail price, not a legal cap we could confirm, so a shop's price may change with the fuel market. For how gas fits into a monthly household budget, see our guide to the cost of living in Thailand.
The deposit and the deposit receipt
The first time you buy gas you pay a deposit for the cylinder itself, on top of the gas. DOEB's public guidance says the shop must give you a deposit receipt (bai mat jam), so that you can reclaim the deposit when you stop using that brand. A shop that refuses to issue one is acting illegally, and you can report it to the Office of the Consumer Protection Board on 1166.
Keep the receipt with your lease papers. DOEB adds that the full deposit is returned only if the cylinder has not been misused, for example heated in hot water, rolled along the ground or knocked about.
Never take a home cylinder to a filling station. DOEB states that filling a household cooking-gas cylinder at an LPG station for cars is illegal. Refills come only from a gas shop or the brand's agent.
Checking the cylinder before you accept it
Look at the cylinder while the delivery person is still there. DOEB tells buyers to check the expiry label and the brand mark, and to refuse a cylinder that is out of date or whose brand cannot be read. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) lists what a good cylinder shows:
- The Thai Industrial Standard mark and an intact seal over the valve.
- A serial number, the company name, and the month and year of the last inspection.
- The empty weight and the weight of gas inside.
- No dents, bulges or rust on the body.
DOEB's complaint hotline also takes reports of cylinders with no expiry year, valves older than 10 years, fake brands, and cylinders that are rusted, dented, blistered or cracked. If something looks wrong, ask the shop for another cylinder.
The hose, the regulator and who connects them
The cylinder connects to the stove through a regulator (the valve head that reduces the pressure) and a flexible hose. DDPM's advice is that the hose must be made for cooking gas, not ordinary rubber or plastic tubing, which the gas can soften until it leaks. The hose clamps should be rust-free and replaced every two years. DDPM also tells households not to change or repair gas equipment themselves.
In practice, let the shop connect the new cylinder and check the joint, and ask the landlord or a gas technician to replace a cracked hose, a loose clamp or a regulator that hisses. What you can do yourself is look: a hose that is stiff, cracked, chewed by rats or kinked behind the stove needs replacing (our page on household pests covers keeping rats out). Close the cylinder valve after cooking, as DDPM advises, and never leave a pan on the gas with nobody in the kitchen.
If you smell gas
DDPM's guidance on a gas leak, published through Thai PBS in 2022, comes down to stopping the gas, airing the room and avoiding any spark.
- Close the valve on the cylinder and turn off the stove knobs.
- Open all doors and windows. DDPM suggests fanning the gas out at floor level with a broom or a sheet of card, because LPG is heavier than air.
- Do not switch any electrical device on or off, including lights and fans. Do not smoke, strike a match or start an engine nearby.
- Never use an electric fan to clear the gas. DDPM warns that it can cause an explosion or fire.
- If the smell does not go away, leave the building and call the gas shop. If there is fire, or the cylinder valve cannot be closed, get everyone out and call 199. For burns, call 1669 or go to one of the hospitals near you.
DDPM also describes finding a leak by brushing soapy water on the valve, regulator and hose joints, where escaping gas makes bubbles. Once the room is aired, that check and any repair are best left to the shop. Our page of emergency numbers in Thailand lists 199 with the other services.
The light switch is the most common spark. In a kitchen that smells of gas, leave the lights as they are, whether they are on or off, and open windows instead.
Gas during power cuts, floods and in older buildings
A gas stove keeps working when the electricity goes off, which is useful in areas with frequent outages; our guide to power cuts in Thailand covers the rest of the house. If water is rising or you have to leave the house quickly, close the cylinder valve first; our checklist for flood preparation at home covers the other steps. In an older apartment building, know where the stairs and fire exits are before you need them, as our guide to hotel and condo fire safety explains.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a gas cylinder cost in Thailand?
The Energy Policy and Planning Office listed 423 baht for a 15 kg cylinder at the main brands in Bangkok and nearby provinces, with data updated on 17 September 2026. That includes delivery within 5 km. The first purchase also needs a cylinder deposit.
Can I refill a gas cylinder at a petrol station in Thailand?
No. The Department of Energy Business says taking a household cooking-gas cylinder to an LPG filling station is illegal. Exchange the empty cylinder at a gas shop or an agent of the cylinder's brand.
Do I get my gas cylinder deposit back?
Yes, if you keep the deposit receipt and the cylinder has not been misused. The shop must issue a deposit receipt on your first purchase; if it refuses, you can complain to the consumer protection office on 1166.
What should I do if I smell gas in my condo?
Close the cylinder valve and stove knobs, open the doors and windows, and do not touch light switches, fans or anything that can spark. If the smell stays, leave and call the gas shop or building management; call 199 if there is fire.
Sources
- Energy Policy and Planning Office (EPPO) – LPG cylinder retail prices, Bangkok and vicinity (data updated 17 September 2026) (checked October 2026)
- Department of Energy Business – Questions and answers on cooking-gas cylinders for the public (March 2024) (checked October 2026)
- Department of Energy Business – Cylinder standards and complaint channels (infographic) (checked October 2026)
- Department of Energy Business – Hotlines for cooking-gas cylinder complaints (infographic) (checked October 2026)
- Thai PBS – DDPM advice on preventing and handling cooking-gas leaks (August 2022) (checked October 2026)