How to Get a House Number and Thai House Registration (Tabien Baan)
TalataReal Estate
Once a house is finished, the householder has 15 days from the completion date to notify the local registrar and request a house number. You file at the registration office covering the area where the house stands, you need four main documents according to the Department of Provincial Administration handbook, and getting the house number with a new house registration book carries no fee, because it does not appear in the civil registration fee schedule at all.
The confusion starts with the phrase itself. "Applying for a new house registration" covers several situations that have nothing to do with each other procedurally. This guide focuses on a newly built house that has never had a house number, which is what most people are actually looking for.
Who needs a house number and a new house registration
The main group is anyone who has built a house on their own land where that house has no house number yet. The law requires the householder to notify the registrar and request a house number within 15 days of the house being completed. Once the registrar has checked the paperwork, the office issues the house registration and hands over the householder copy of the book, known in Thai as the tabien baan.
The second group is people buying from a housing project. In most cases the developer has already obtained the house number before transfer, so what the buyer does is collect the book on transfer day and then move their name into the new address. That is not a house number application.
Anyone whose book is lost or damaged is in a different situation again. That is not a new registration at all, it is a request for a replacement householder copy under section 39 paragraph two, which does carry a fee and uses a different document set. Our guide to a lost house registration book and how to replace it covers that path.
Documents you need to apply for a house number
The handbook from the Bureau of Registration Administration lists far less than most websites suggest.
| Document | Who issues it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit, or the house sale contract | Your municipality, SAO, or the seller | The handbook lists this as "if available", not mandatory in every case |
| ID card of the householder | The householder | Original |
| ID card of the person filing, or the authorised representative | Whoever goes to the office | Needed when the person filing is not the householder |
| Letter of authorisation | The householder | Only when someone else goes on your behalf |
| House notification receipt (Thor Ror 9) | Village headman or local office | Applies in areas with a village headman. It is issued to you, not something you bring from home |
The document people most often misunderstand is Thor Ror 9. Plenty of articles list it beside your ID card as though it were something to collect from a drawer at home. It is actually called a house notification receipt, a form the village headman or a local officer issues once you report that a new house has been built in their area. If your house sits in a district with a village headman, report it there first to receive this form, then take it to the district office. Houses inside a municipality or in Bangkok file directly with the registration office.
The title deed is not on the handbook's list either, though many offices ask to see it to confirm the land belongs to the person filing. Bring it and you are more likely to finish in one visit.
The steps to get a house number
There are three, and they are less daunting than people expect.
Once the house is finished, go to the registration office for the area where it was built. In Bangkok that is the registration section of your district office. Elsewhere it is the district office or the local registration office. It has to be the area the house stands in, and you cannot file somewhere more convenient, because the original registration record is held at that office.
The registrar then checks the evidence and, once it is in order, prepares the house registration and the copies, handing you the householder copy. For a newly built house, the registrar may inspect the property in person before assigning the number.
Can you get a house number before the house is finished
You can, and it is the part most competing articles leave out. The handbook sets out exactly how far construction has to have progressed.
| Stage of construction on the day you file | What you receive |
|---|---|
| Finished | Full house registration (Thor Ror 14) and the householder copy |
| Ordinary house with foundations laid and roof completed | Temporary house registration marked "house under construction" |
| Other buildings at 50% or more of construction, with certification from the supervising engineer or civil works foreman | Temporary house registration marked "house under construction" |
The temporary registration issued during construction carries the note that the house is under construction, which means the property has a house number well before completion. Anyone about to apply for an electricity meter for a new house should ask the local electricity authority first whether they accept the temporary registration or want the final book.
There is a second, unrelated meaning of temporary house registration. It is the registration issued to houses built on public land, in encroached forest reserve, or without permission under building control law. For those, the handbook states that the temporary registration is an official document usable in the same way as an ordinary house registration, and that people listed in it hold the same rights and duties as people listed in a normal one.
Filing late, and what it actually costs
The deadline in the handbook is 15 days from the day the house is finished. In practice a lot of people miss it without realising. If you are past the deadline you can still go and file, there is no window you have to wait for, but do it soon, because a house with no house number runs into trouble with everything from electricity and water meters to moving anyone's name into the address.
On cost, the Department of Provincial Administration's civil registration fee schedule has seven items, and none of them is a charge for assigning a house number or issuing a house registration for a newly built house. That means this step is free. The items that do carry a fee, and that people routinely confuse with this one, are a certified copy of a house registration at 10 baht per copy, and a replacement householder copy when the original is lost or damaged at 30 baht per copy. You can check the current rates in the civil registration fee table published by the Department of Provincial Administration.
If you send someone on your behalf, the letter of authorisation may need duty stamps at the rate your registration office applies, so ask them for the exact amount beforehand.
Can you apply for a house registration online
The clear answer is no, not for a newly built house. The process requires inspecting the property and verifying ownership evidence, so it happens at the registration office covering the area.
What you can genuinely do online now is self-service certification through the ThaiD app, covering two items: a certified personal record extract (Thor Ror 14/1) and a certified personal history extract (Thor Ror 12/2). Both are free, and the recipient can verify them by QR code for 90 days from the date of issue. Neither has anything to do with obtaining a house number.
Householder and house owner are not the same thing
The house owner is whoever holds title to the building. The householder is whoever is head of the household in occupation of it, and that occupation can be as owner, as tenant, or in any other capacity. The householder is the person with the legal duty to notify the civil registration office of births, deaths, changes of address, and a new house number.
The handbook adds a point worth knowing: where there is no apparent householder, or the householder is absent, deceased, missing, presumed dead, or unable to act, the person responsible for looking after the house at that time is treated as the householder. That answers the question people ask most often here. A house with no householder can still be dealt with, and the person caring for it files as householder.
Why buy or sell a home through Talata
Anyone about to build or buy usually starts by looking for land or a house that fits the budget and the location they want. Talata brings house and land listings from many sellers into one place, so you can filter by area, price, and property type, then contact the seller directly.
Before you commit, check the property's paperwork in full: the title deed, whether the house already has a number, and who is still listed at that address in the house registration, since those are the things you end up chasing later if you skip them. Compare several listings in the same area, then contact the seller through Talata when you find the right one.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to apply for a house number after building?
Fifteen days from the day the house is completed. The householder notifies the registrar for the area where the house stands. If you are past the deadline you can still file, but do it soon, because a house without a number causes problems with utility meters and with moving names into the address.
Is there a fee for a house number and a new house registration?
No. It does not appear in the Department of Provincial Administration's civil registration fee schedule. What does carry a fee is a certified copy of a house registration at 10 baht per copy, and a replacement householder copy when the original is lost or damaged at 30 baht per copy.
What documents do I need to apply for a house number?
Four according to the handbook: the building permit or house sale contract if you have one, the householder's ID card, the ID card of the person filing or the authorised representative, and a letter of authorisation if someone else goes for you. In areas with a village headman, collect the Thor Ror 9 house notification receipt from them as well.
How far along does construction have to be before I can apply?
An ordinary house qualifies once the foundations are laid and the roof is complete. Other buildings need to be at least 50% built, with certification from the supervising engineer or civil works foreman. The registrar then issues a temporary house registration marked "house under construction".
Can I apply if the house has no householder?
Yes. The law provides that where there is no apparent householder, or the householder is absent, deceased, or unable to act, the person looking after the house at that time is treated as the householder and can file on that basis.
Can I apply for a house number online?
Not yet. You have to file at the registration office for the area where the house stands, because the property and the evidence have to be checked in person. The ThaiD app covers certified personal record and personal history extracts free of charge, which is a separate service.
