Power cuts in Thai cities are usually short, but they do happen: planned shutdowns for maintenance, and unplanned ones during storms. Find out which utility supplies your home, learn its hotline and app, and keep a few simple things ready, and an outage becomes an inconvenience rather than a problem.
Thailand has two state electricity distributors. The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) supplies Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan; the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) supplies every other province, including Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya and the islands. Which one you have decides where you look for planned outages and whom you call. Your electricity bill shows the name, and so does the meter. This page is for renters and long-stay residents; for the cost of your monthly bill, see our cost of living guide.
Who to contact about the power (October 2026)
- MEA (Bangkok, Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan)
- Call centre 1130 (24 hours); app MEA Smart Life
- PEA (all other provinces)
- Contact centre 1129 (24 hours); app PEA Smart Plus; LINE @peathailand
- Planned outages
- PEA lists them on pea.co.th and its outage page
- Complaints about the utility
- Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) 1204
- Fallen pole or broken line
- Stay away and call your utility; fire 199, ambulance 1669
Planned outages: where they are announced
Most long cuts are planned work on the grid: replacing poles, upgrading lines or trimming trees near cables. PEA publishes these announcements on its home page and on a dedicated outage page. On 19 October 2026, for example, the PEA home page listed work for the next day in several provinces, including villages in Tha Wung district of Lop Buri, where users were told to expect nine hours without power while the grid was upgraded. The notices are in Thai and list the date, times and the affected villages, roads or areas.
We could not confirm how MEA currently publishes planned work, because its website did not respond when we checked. Bangkok residents should ask in the MEA Smart Life app or on 1130, and watch for notices from the condo office: building management normally passes on outage notices, and some buildings also schedule their own shutdowns to service transformers or switchboards.
A practical habit for PEA areas: note the name of your tambon (sub-district) and village or road as it appears on your bill. That is the name the outage notices use, and a translation app can then match it quickly.
The 14-day notice rule is about disconnection, not maintenance. The ERC's consumer rights charter gives a right to at least 14 days' notice before a utility suspends your supply, for example over an unpaid bill. It does not promise 14 days' warning of a planned maintenance outage, so check the notices regularly.
Reporting a fault
If your home loses power and the neighbors' lights are still on, the problem may be your own breaker or wiring. Check whether the main switch or a circuit breaker in your consumer unit has tripped. If it trips again as soon as you reset it, leave it off and call your landlord or a licensed electrician; something on that circuit is faulty. Do not open the panel or try to repair wiring yourself.
If the whole street is dark, report it to the utility: 1130 for MEA areas, 1129 for PEA areas. Both lines run 24 hours. The PEA Smart Plus app and the MEA Smart Life app also let customers report problems and pay bills; having your customer or meter number ready, from a bill photo on your phone, speeds things up. In the Sattahip area, part of the supply is run by the Royal Thai Navy, which has its own number (0 3843 7766, extensions 111 or 222).
Never go near a fallen pole or a broken power line. PEA tells people to keep away and call the utility; this applies after storms and floods especially. If there is a fire, call 199, and for anyone hurt by electricity, cut the power only if you can do so safely and call 1669.
Storm season and flooding
Unplanned cuts cluster in the rainy season, when storms bring down branches and lightning strikes lines; our page on the rainy season in Thailand describes the weather pattern. Most storm cuts are short. Do not use lifts during a storm if power is flickering, and if you are in a lift when the power fails, use the alarm button and wait.
Water and electricity are the real danger. If water is entering your home, switch off the power at the main switch only if you can reach it without standing in water. If you cannot, leave and call for help. Our guide to preparing a home for flooding covers the wider preparation, and DDPM, the disaster agency, runs hotline 1784. When the power returns after a flood, have an electrician inspect any sockets or appliances that were wet before you use them. The same applies to the shower heater: our page on shower water heater safety explains the safety breaker and the warning signs.
Protecting laptops, TVs and air conditioners
When power comes back, it can return with a surge, or flicker on and off a few times. That is hard on electronics and on air-conditioner compressors. A few habits help:
- Unplug sensitive devices during a cut, and plug them back in a few minutes after the power is stable.
- Use a surge-protected power strip for computers, the TV and the router. Look for the Thai TIS mark and buy from a proper electrical shop, not the cheapest strip at a market stall.
- Consider a small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for a desktop computer or the router if you work from home. It gives you minutes, not hours: enough to save work and shut down cleanly.
- Switch the air conditioner off at the remote when the power fails, and wait a few minutes after it returns before turning it back on.
Anything bigger, such as a generator, a whole-house surge protector or a battery system, involves the building's wiring. Ask your landlord, or for a house, a licensed electrician; generators in particular must never be connected to home wiring by amateurs.
Staying online when the power goes
A power cut takes down your router, and often the building's network equipment too. A charged phone with mobile data is the simplest backup. Our guide to internet and mobile data in Thailand explains the networks, and if a stable connection is essential to your job, a coworking space with backup power is worth knowing before you need it. Keep a power bank charged; it is the one item that makes every outage easier.
Fridges, water pumps and other things that stop
The fridge. Keep the door closed. A closed fridge stays cold for some hours; a freezer that is full keeps longer than one that is half empty. If the cut is long and food has warmed up, throw out meat, fish and dairy rather than risk food poisoning in the heat.
Water. If your house uses an electric pump to push water from a tank or the mains to the taps, or your condo pumps water to the upper floors, the water pressure goes when the power does. Ask your landlord which applies. Keep a few bottles of drinking water and a full bucket for flushing.
Heat. Without fans or air conditioning, a closed room in the hot season becomes uncomfortable fast, and for older people, small children and anyone unwell, dangerous. Open windows if it is safe, drink water and move somewhere cool, such as a mall, if the cut drags on. Our page on heat and sun in Thailand lists the warning signs of heat illness.
Light. Use torches or battery lamps rather than candles. A candle left burning in a dark room is an easy way to start a fire.
Islands and rural areas
On islands and in rural PEA areas, supply lines are longer and repair crews may be further away, so a cut can last longer than in a city. When the power goes, Wi-Fi and card machines go with it. Before renting long-term on an island, ask the landlord or neighbors how often the power goes off in the rainy season and whether the property has a backup. Keep some cash, because ATMs and card terminals need electricity too.
Damaged appliances and complaints
The ERC's consumer rights charter gives users the right to have damage caused by an electricity service that did not meet the standard considered and compensated by the provider. If you dispute whether the supply met the technical and quality standards, the charter puts the burden of proof on the provider, and you can ask to have your meter checked. We could not find PEA's or MEA's claim form or the amounts paid, so start by reporting the damage to the utility in writing with photos, the date and time of the outage and repair receipts, and ask for a reference number. If the utility does not respond, the ERC takes complaints on 1204. If you rent, tell the landlord too: appliances in a furnished unit are usually theirs, and our guide to renting in Thailand covers what the lease should say about repairs.
Frequently asked questions
What number do I call for a power cut in Thailand?
Call 1130 if you live in Bangkok, Nonthaburi or Samut Prakan, which the Metropolitan Electricity Authority supplies. Everywhere else, call the Provincial Electricity Authority on 1129. Both lines run 24 hours.
How do I find out about planned power cuts in my area?
In PEA areas, check the announcements on pea.co.th and its outage page, or the PEA Smart Plus app; notices list the date, times and affected villages or roads. In Bangkok, ask MEA on 1130 or through its app, and watch for notices from your building management.
Can I claim compensation if a power surge damages my appliances?
The ERC's consumer rights charter gives users a right to have damage from substandard electricity service considered and compensated, with the burden of proof on the provider. Report it to the utility in writing with evidence, and contact the ERC on 1204 if you get no answer.
Why does my water stop when the power goes off?
If your home or condo building uses an electric pump to supply water to the taps or the upper floors, the pump stops when the power fails and the water pressure drops. Keep drinking water and a filled bucket in reserve.
Sources
- Provincial Electricity Authority – home page and outage announcements (checked October 2026)
- PEA – Electricity Consumer Rights Charter (ERC, B.E. 2565) (checked October 2026)
- PEA – Mobile apps (PEA Smart Plus) (checked October 2026)
- Metropolitan Electricity Authority – Contact (archived January 2025) (checked October 2026)
- PEA Safe Save Thai – Electrical hazards and what to do (checked October 2026)