The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) explained that cancelling a home internet contract before it expires is indeed possible but requires checking the specific conditions. They revealed there is no penalty fee, though customers might need to pay installation fees proportionate to actual usage.
Following the spread of information on social media claiming that users can cancel their home internet immediately without waiting for the contract to end and without paying any penalty fees, the NBTC has issued a clarification to prevent consumer misunderstandings.
Mr. Trairat Wiriyasirikul, Deputy Secretary-General acting as Secretary-General of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), stated that the claim that users can cancel home internet without any conditions is not entirely true and could lead to incorrect complaints.
Mr. Trairat explained that cancelling home internet before the contract expires is possible but must be considered from the start of service subscription, divided into two main cases as follows.
Case where the user pays installation fees themselves from the beginning If the user pays the initial fee and installation costs themselves, they can cancel the contract immediately, provided they settle any outstanding service fees and return the equipment to the service provider.
Case with a "free" installation promotion If the contract at installation specifies free initial fees and equipment installation (in exchange for usage over a specified period), cancelling early requires paying the initial and installation fees calculated proportionally to the usage period already completed.
For example,for a 12-month contract with a 1,200 baht installation fee, if the user cancels after 6 months, they must pay the remaining 600 baht fee.
The NBTC Secretary-General reiterated that users must carefully read the contract before signing, as cancellation depends on the terms agreed upon with the provider. This follows contract and legal conditions. There is no penalty fee for cancelling home internet, but contractual terms may require paying initial and installation fees proportionate to the period the service was used.
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