Frequently asked questions

Foreigners generally cannot own Thai land directly. Limited exceptions require specific legal conditions and approvals. A condominium unit may be owned in a foreign buyer’s name within the building’s foreign quota. Building ownership can be separate from land ownership, subject to the legal structure and registrations.

A registered long-term lease is one commonly used structure. A genuinely Thai-owned company may hold land for legitimate business purposes, but nominee shareholders must not be used to evade foreign ownership restrictions. Obtain independent legal advice before choosing a structure.

Chanote (Nor Sor 4 Jor) is a title with surveyed boundaries. Nor Sor 3 Gor and Nor Sor 3 are land utilisation certificates with different survey and boundary characteristics. Other land documents can give more limited rights. Check the document, boundaries and permitted use before committing.

One square wah equals 4 square metres. One ngan equals 100 square wah, or 400 square metres. One rai equals 4 ngan, or 1,600 square metres. Advertised property size may include balconies, terraces or other spaces; confirm exactly what is measured.

A company must satisfy the applicable Thai ownership and operating requirements. Arranging Thai shareholders to hold shares for a foreign investor does not make a nominee structure lawful. Shareholding percentages alone do not establish that a structure is legitimate.

A compliant company with a genuine commercial purpose may hold land as an asset and may sell, mortgage or subdivide it subject to the relevant laws and approvals. Suitability depends on the actual business purpose and circumstances.

A company carries accounting, financial reporting, tax and corporate compliance obligations. Shareholders must be genuine. A structure created primarily to bypass restrictions can create serious legal problems. Obtain independent advice, particularly for a home intended mainly for personal use.

The source FAQ explains that leases exceeding three years require Land Department registration to be enforceable beyond the first three years. The usual maximum registered residential or land lease is 30 years. Promised renewals are not automatically guaranteed and normally require a new registration. Different rules can apply to certain commercial or industrial leases.

The lessee does not own the land. Renewal may depend on the owner’s cooperation and a fresh registration. Enforcing a contractual renewal can involve litigation, expense and delay. Financing and resale options may be more limited than for freehold property. A carefully drafted, registered agreement matters.

A registered condominium allows separate ownership of individual units alongside shared ownership of common areas. A unit can have its own title deed. Confirm that the building is legally registered as a condominium rather than relying on its marketing name.

The building must have available foreign ownership quota. In the usual case, purchase money is brought into Thailand from abroad in foreign currency with suitable receiving-bank evidence. The required bank documentation depends on the transaction. The condominium juristic person normally confirms available quota before transfer.

The source FAQ states that foreign individuals and qualifying foreign entities may collectively own up to 49% of the total unit area in a registered condominium building. Check the available foreign freehold quota before agreeing to a purchase.

The source FAQ describes leases of up to 30 years, with registration required for terms exceeding three years. An agreed future renewal is not an automatically guaranteed additional term and normally needs a new registration when the current lease ends.