How foreigners can own property in Thailand

Land

A foreigner cannot own land in Thailand in their own name. Land can be held through a Thai company only where the company is genuinely trading, the shareholding is real, and the company meets the requirements for holding land at all. Using Thai individuals to hold shares on your behalf is illegal: the arrangement is unenforceable, and it is one of the most common ways people lose money here.

Condominiums

A foreigner may own a condominium unit freehold in their own name, provided the building’s foreign ownership quota is respected. No more than 49 per cent of the total floor area of the building may be foreign-owned, and the quota position is recorded for the building as a whole, not per unit.

The purchase money must be brought into Thailand in foreign currency and recorded correctly by the receiving bank. That paper trail is part of the transfer, not an optional extra, and it needs to be organised before the day at the land office.

Houses and villas

A foreigner may own the building on the land without owning the land itself, so the usual routes are a registered long lease, commonly 30 years with renewal by agreement, or a lease of the land with ownership of the structure. Board of Investment promoted schemes are a separate route with their own conditions. Each option carries different security, different tax and different resale appeal.

Before you commit

• Know exactly what you are buying: freehold or leasehold, for how long, and what happens at renewal.
• Check the foreign quota position for the building, in writing.
• Confirm how the funds will be transferred and what evidence the bank will produce.
• Have the title searched and the contract reviewed by a lawyer who is not paid by the seller or the agent.