Buying Property in Thailand: Rights, Costs and Checks

Buying property in Thailand is open to foreigners: a condo unit can be owned outright if the conditions are met. Houses and land are different, and the rights to the building and the land must be considered separately. Start with the right you want to obtain, then compare properties, location and budget.

This guide walks you through the process from choosing a property to registration and handover. We cover the foreign quota, the differences between ownership and leasehold, banking documents and costs beyond the property price. The sections include links to detailed materials, and we recommend an independent legal review before signing any contract.

Current at the time of publication; conditions may change. Before the deal, check the applicable requirements with your bank and the Land Department. Separately, agree on what will happen to the money you have paid if the purchase cannot be completed on the chosen terms. It is best to settle this question before paying a deposit.

What foreigners can buy in Thailand

A foreigner can own a condo unit directly, as freehold ownership. This option is described in the property-buying guide (Houseviser). However, whether a specific unit can be registered depends on meeting the conditions, including the availability of the foreign quota.

According to Thailand’s official information sheet, foreign ownership is limited 49% of the total floor area of units in a particular condominium. This is a limit based on floor area, not on the number of units. Counting the units already sold to foreigners does not by itself answer whether another one can be registered.

For land, a general restriction on foreign ownership applies, but official information sheets describe a special exception. The description of this regime lists the following conditions:

• an investment of at least 40 million baht;
• a plot of no more than one rai;
• maintaining the investment for at least five years;
• permission from the Minister of Interior.

This is a special regime, not a general permission to buy land. Its applicability has to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Buying a property does not itself confirm that the conditions are met, and it does not replace the permission. Treating the listed points as a ready-made scheme for acquiring a plot is risky.

The practical conclusion is simple: a condo unit, a house and land each require different checks. Ask a specialist to explain which right will be registered in your name, which restrictions apply to the property, and what will confirm the registration. The legal framework is covered in detail in the article property laws in Thailand.

Types of Property and Forms of Ownership: Freehold and Leasehold

A condominium is a multi-unit building in which you buy an individual unit. It can be a studio, a unit with separate bedrooms, or a penthouse. Swimming pools, gyms and other common areas are worth assessing together with the condition of the building and the maintenance costs.

A villa or house requires separate consideration of the building and the plot. The legal guide to property (Thailand Law Online) states that ownership of a house may be transferred separately from the land on which it stands. So the phrase “buying a villa” is not enough: the contract must explain the rights to both parts.

A townhouse is a row house, for which you also need to understand the rights to the building and the land. For a commercial property, such as an office, shop or space for a restaurant, check the legal status of the specific property and whether it matches the intended use.

Freehold ownership and long-term leasehold are different rights. A lease does not turn into ownership because of its long term. In a legal explainer from the property company (Savills), the usual maximum lease term is given as 30 years.

An extension should not be treated as an automatic continuation of the original contract. Ask a lawyer to review the lease end terms and any promises about a future extension before paying. To compare property formats, see the guide types of property in Thailand.

Regions for buying and what price data shows

It is easier to choose a region based on your everyday needs: living there full time, visiting for part of the year, or considering renting out the property. Then compare transport, the infrastructure you need, the condition of the building and the owner’s costs. A beautiful view will not answer questions about daily travel or the rules for using the unit.

Pattaya and Phuket can be included in a comparison of properties for living by the sea. In Bangkok, it is worth assessing separately the route to work, schools and other places you need. For each option, make the same list of criteria so the comparison is not reduced to photos.

Koh Samui, Hua Hin and Krabi can also be considered depending on your needs. Check the availability of the services you need and how convenient trips are from the specific property you choose. For a more detailed look at one of these destinations — an overview of Phuket’s districts and property.

The Real Estate Information Center (REIC) reports that in the second quarter of 2026, based on the Gregorian calendar, the condominium price index for the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) rose by 0.5% compared with the same period a year earlier. This is a regional indicator, not the price of a specific unit or of a square meter.

A small movement in the index is easy to mistake for an answer to the question “is buying a good deal?” But it does not show the return on an investment and does not explain the differences between individual buildings. A purchase decision requires the terms of a specific property. Comparing the regions listed by unverified average prices is not advisable.

Lawyer, agent and property checks before payment

A real estate agent helps you search for property, arrange viewings and negotiate. An independent lawyer checks the legal side of the deal. These roles complement each other: finding a suitable unit does not replace checking whether it can be registered on the agreed terms.

We recommend bringing in a lawyer before signing the contract and making any significant payments. Separately, agree that they represent your interests and what outcome of the review you will receive. The mere fact that a specialist knows the seller does not answer the question of what role they play in the deal.

Include the following in the tasks for your lawyer:

• verifying the seller’s right to dispose of the property;
• checking encumbrances, mortgages and possible disputes;
• the availability of the foreign quota for the chosen unit;
• debts related to the property;
• an exact description of the right being transferred and the subject of the contract;
• payment terms, refund conditions and the allocation of costs.

Ask the management company about the quota, maintenance fees and building rules. If you plan to rent out the unit, discuss the intended use before buying. Request answers that can be checked against the contract and documents.

Ask the seller about documents, the condition of the property, what fittings are included and the basis for receiving money. It is useful to find out in advance who signs the contract and to whom each payment is sent. If the answers do not match, we recommend resolving this before paying any money.

More about the specialist’s tasks is covered in the article a lawyer when buying real estate in Thailand. To check an agent’s experience and terms of work, see the guide how to choose a real estate agent in Thailand.

The Buying Process: Reservation, Contract and Registration

Buying property in Thailand starts with choosing the property and the right to be registered. Before making a reservation, we recommend discussing preliminary checks and the consequences of withdrawing from the deal. A deposit refund should follow from agreed terms, not from a verbal promise.

The general process looks like this:

1. Choose the property, the form of ownership and a suitable budget.
2. Agree on the reservation terms: the recipient of the money, the purpose of the payment and the grounds for a refund.
3. Carry out a legal review of the property and the seller’s rights.
4. Agree on the contract, the fittings, the payment schedule and each party’s costs.
5. Prepare the payment with banking documents suitable for your situation.
6. Complete the registration of the right at the Land Department.

Do not treat the reservation as confirmation that the checks have succeeded. Removing the property from sale, whether the money is refundable and the parties’ further obligations depend on the specific agreement. It is better to state clearly what happens if an obstacle to registration is found.

For an off-plan property, we recommend discussing the project’s readiness, the payment schedule, the fittings and liability for delays separately. Ask how completion of the agreed stages and the readiness of the unit for handover will be confirmed. A general deal completion deadline does not replace the terms of the contract here.

For a completed property, focus on its condition, outstanding debts and the procedure for transferring ownership. Agree on what stays in the unit and when the keys are handed over. If you act through a representative, discuss in advance with your lawyer and the Land Department how participation in the registration will work.

Details of each stage are covered in step-by-step process for buying property. Use it together with the terms of your own deal, not instead of checking the contract.

Money transfers and bank documents for buying a condo

It is best to agree on the payment method before sending any money. The official information page describes buying with funds brought into Thailand from abroad in foreign currency. But this route cannot be applied without exceptions to every foreign buyer.

In the explanation on Thailand’s government portal bank confirmation is provided for transfers below the threshold stated on the page. Therefore, the document does not necessarily have to be called only a Foreign Exchange Transaction form (FET). The name of the form alone does not determine whether the confirmation is suitable for the deal.

The same page describes a separate procedure for buyers with permanent residence status: buying a condominium in baht without requesting a Foreign Exchange Transaction Form. This refers to permanent residency. Do not equate it with any long-term visa or extended stay in the country.

Before transferring, ask the receiving bank these practical questions:

• what document it will issue for the chosen payment method;
• what details must link the transfer to the buyer and the property;
• how the purpose of the payment will be recorded;
• how to confirm payments made in installments;
• how to correct a possible mismatch in the documents before registration.

We recommend checking the bank’s answers against the terms for registering the right. Do not rely on blanket statements such as “nothing will work without this form” or “any transfer will do”: the buyer’s status and the chosen payment route matter.

Keep bank confirmations together with payment documents. How to prepare the payment and agree on it with the parties to the deal is explained in the article transferring money to buy property.

Taxes, Fees and Owner’s Costs

The purchase budget includes the property price, the applicable payments at registration and the owner’s subsequent costs. Property taxes in Thailand cannot be reduced to a single percentage that every buyer adds to the price. Calculating them requires the category of the seller, the circumstances of the deal and the correct base for each payment.

The rates below are taken from the official explanation in the memo of the Rayong Land Office. The table keeps the cases described there and does not replace checking exceptions for a specific sale.

The seller’s income tax is linked to the withholding tax already discussed for such deals. The rate for a legal entity cannot be applied to every seller. Similarly, the holding periods in the table do not cover all possible exceptions.

Do not add up the table rows into a universal percentage of buyer costs. The legal guide to buying a condominium (Houseviser) describes how the ownership transfer fee can be allocated by agreement between the parties. The obligation to pay a tax and the agreement on who covers the costs are separate questions.

Ask for a calculation for your specific deal and record the agreed split of costs in the contract. After the purchase, budget for common area maintenance, utilities, any applicable annual taxes and contributions to the repair reserve fund. The repair reserve fund should not automatically be treated as an annual payment for every property.

Details of individual payments are covered in the guide property taxes in Thailand. To assess your budget, compare them with the calculation for the property you choose.

Handover, Documents and Steps After Purchase

Registration of the right and handover of the property are related but separate stages. We recommend agreeing separately on when and in what condition you receive the property. Do not leave the fittings and the procedure for handing over keys to verbal arrangements.

During handover, it is useful to:

• inspect the rooms, equipment and accessible common areas;
• check the fittings against the contract;
• record any defects you notice in writing;
• agree on how defects will be fixed;
• receive the keys and record the meter readings;
• discuss payments and future requests with the management company.

For an off-plan property, an agreed procedure for recording complaints is especially useful. Ask who accepts the list of defects and how their repair is confirmed. Deadlines and guarantees should be based on the terms of your deal.

After registration, get a document confirming the registered right to the specific property. A land title and a condo unit ownership document cannot be treated as one universal document. Ask your lawyer to explain exactly what you are receiving and which right it confirms.

Keep the contract, registration and bank documents together with payment confirmations. It is also useful to collect correspondence about the fittings, the handover of the property and the fixing of defects. Such a record will help you understand your agreements in future matters of ownership or a future sale.

Pitfalls: Land, the Contract and Leasehold Scenarios

It is best to look for the main risks before payment: whether the seller has the right to dispose of the property, whether there are any encumbrances, whether the banking documents are suitable, and whether the contract’s content is clear. If the proposed terms do not match the documents, we recommend stopping and sorting this out. Haste does not replace checking.

Do not sign a text you do not understand. For a bilingual contract, ask a specialist to compare the versions and explain the clause on discrepancies. You cannot assume in advance that a particular language takes precedence in every contract.

Do not treat registering land through a company as a standard safe route. If a corporate structure is offered, pass it to an independent lawyer to assess the participants, the rights to the plot and the consequences for you. A promise that “everyone buys this way” does not replace a legal review.

If you are considering investing in property in Thailand, ask these questions in advance:

• whether the intended use of the property is permitted;
• which building rules apply to renting out;
• who will manage and maintain the property;
• which costs will continue during vacancy;
• what will need to be checked before a future sale.

Do not take advertised rental income as income after expenses. For your own scenario, compare possible receipts with maintenance, utilities and periods without tenants. Do not plan on constant demand as a guaranteed condition.

Consider your property rights and your legal basis for living in the country separately. Buying property must not replace checking the appropriate status for your stay. Also discuss resale and inheritance questions with your lawyer in advance if they affect your decision.