JohnSkliros

I have a Visa Platinum Credit Card from SCB. The bank manager assured me that provided I spent more than 5000 (five thousand) baht per year on the card, there wouldn't be any fees or charges. In the ten months that I have had the card, there haven't yet been any charges. The SCB general rule for a "deposit guarantee" is double the credit limit that you require. If you want a 50 000 limit on the card, they want 100 000 in a fixed deposit account. Bangkok Bank have the same requirement.

It seems that the wording on the first page of the Tabien Baan isn't cast in concrete and the officials type it as they see fit but irrespective of what is written there, it doesn't provide legal proof of ownership.
Nevertheless, before I brandished the Tabien Baan (only the first page completed), TOT wanted a 5000 baht deposit before they would register the account in my name. Now they have voluntarily waived that requirement.
Thank you TOT!

Perhaps because there isn't an alternative provider where I am .... other than intermittent GPRS .... ?

Why would you build a new house and then call the worst internet provider in Thailand ? Thats like buying a Ferrari and putting water in the gas tank.
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Here's my experience with the Yellow Tabien Baan..

I am here on a retirement visa and have owner built my house (no contractor involved). Having just just moved in (albeit not quite finished :-( , I decided to get the Tabien Baan so I could get a phone line, etc., in my name.

Yesterday, I went to the local (village) Ampour office with my land owner and we gave them sight of the title deed with a 30 year lease in my name noted on the reverse of the chanote. They were very cooperative and having inspected some house plans and photographs of the sewage system, they issued a "Health Certificate" and instructed us to go to the main Ampour in Chiang Rai with all the documents.

The people at the main Ampour were equally friendly and cooperative. The "Deputy Sheriff" did consult his rather thick rule book but after a very short while he gave a lady at a computer terminal the nod and ten minutes later (and TWENTY BAHT poorer) I held the yellow Tabien Baan.

The front page states my name as "Owner" as well as the physical address they assigned to the property. There is no mention of the land owner in the book. I am not recorded on the following page which records details of persons actually residing at the premises (that's an Immigration matter). I mightl deal with that later ... or perhaps never, if the various parties that require proof of residence in the future accept my Tabien Baan document as is - which I suspect they will (see the next paragraph). I must clarify however that being noted as "owner" in this document  doesn't confer any right of house ownership - but my having paid for the  construction does.

I raced off to TOT to get my ADSL line application formalised (I had previously "booked a line"). They were very happy with the documentation and the technician is due tomorrow to measure up and install.

Feel free to ask any questions.

May I add that I have NEVER experienced better or more efficient service ANYWHERE, than what I have experienced in ALL MY DEALINGS here in Chiang Rai.
The Land Office chanote Lease Registration formalities were completed in under an hour. My two temporary driving licences were also issued in under an hour. The renewal of those with 5-year licences took all of twenty minutes. Yesterday's Ampour adventures took less than an hour. TOT have been an absolute pleasure. Buying and registering a new vehicle in my name was effortless. Banking here is simply a pleasure, I even got a proper Credit Card without any hassle (no, I don't have pots of money). The staff at Mae Sai Immigration are so pleasant, I think I'll take them the Thai equivalent of a cake next time I go up there. And I paid a parking fine in about five minutes flat. It's just wonderful here!

Okay, I agree that a definitive answer is unlikely to be forthcoming here (just because there probably isn't one).

I will write to the relevant departments and seek clarification and post a follow up in due course.

Thanks to all ......