Buying property in Thailand: what to know first

Thailand draws buyers from all over the world for its cities, islands, food and cost of living, whether they want a holiday home, a place to retire or a condo to let. Its condo market is one of the most open in Asia, and a foreigner can own a unit outright, in their own name.

The land rules, though, are among the strictest in the region. A foreigner cannot own land, villas are usually bought on a lease, and only the first 30 years of a lease are a registered property right. The structure you choose decides what you really own, so settle it first; after that, the purchase itself is straightforward.

What changed in 2025–26

Several rules changed in 2025 and 2026, and some long-discussed reforms did not happen. As of November 2026, these matter most to foreign buyers:

  • Shorter visa-free stays: From 15 September 2026, visa-exempt visitors from 59 countries and territories, the UK and the EU states among them, get 30 days instead of 60, and every arrival must file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online.
  • A fee cut for Thais only: From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, transfer and mortgage fees fall to 0.01% on homes of up to THB 7 million for Thai individuals. Foreign buyers still pay the 2% transfer fee.
  • Tighter DTV applications: Since 31 August 2026, the five-year Destination Thailand Visa must be applied for in your country of nationality or residence, with a police clearance certificate.
  • Lease renewals are not rights: In March 2025 the Supreme Court held that renewals agreed in advance beyond 30 years are not property rights, so a “30+30+30” lease gives you one registered term.
  • No 75% quota, no 99-year leases: Both have been discussed since 2024 but never enacted. The 49% quota and the 30-year lease still apply.
  • Thailand Privilege costs more: The membership visa now runs from THB 900,000 for five years to THB 5 million for 20, with a cheaper Bronze tier offered for a limited time.
  • Fewer visitors in 2025: About 33 million foreign arrivals, around 7% fewer than in 2024, after border tensions with Cambodia and floods in the south. Bear it in mind if you plan to let.

Why buyers from abroad consider Thailand

An easy-going way of life

For many buyers the draw is the life itself: busy cities, quiet islands, the food and the temples. Bangkok has a capital’s energy, Phuket and the coast have beaches and villas, and Chiang Mai, the northern cultural capital, has a slower pace for long stays.

Rental demand and investment potential

Expats, professionals, students and retirees keep up demand for rentals in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket. Gross yields averaged about 5–6% in early 2026, with net yields typically 1.5–2 points lower, and holiday letting is tightly regulated.

Modest living costs

The cost of living is a large part of the appeal, and running a home is modest. The main bills are the condo’s common fees and electricity, which air-conditioning drives up.

A home for your holidays

Many buyers simply want somewhere warm for the northern winter, from a sea-view condo in Pattaya to a villa on Phuket’s west coast. A home gives you no right to stay, though: a stay of more than 30 days needs a visa.

What a foreigner can legally own in Thailand

Land in Thailand is reserved for Thai citizens and Thai-majority companies. A foreigner has two mainstream routes, a freehold condo or a lease, and they work very differently, so choose the route before you shortlist.

Land stays in Thai hands

A foreigner cannot own land, whether a plot to build on or the ground under a house. What you can do is lease the land and own a house built on it.

Condominiums: full ownership within the quota

A condo is the one home a foreigner can own outright, in their own name, with a share of the building’s common property, which is why almost every foreign purchase is a condo. Two rules apply:

  • The 49% foreign quota: Foreigners may own no more than 49% of a building’s floor space. In popular buildings it runs out and the remaining units can only be leased, so before any deposit, ask the juristic person (the management office) for a letter confirming quota is available.
  • Money from abroad: The price must arrive from abroad in foreign currency, with the bank’s Foreign Exchange Transaction (FET) certificate, or the unit cannot be registered in your name.

Long-term leases

For a villa or a house, the usual route is a lease: a registered right to use the land for a fixed term of up to 30 years, while you own the house on it. No currency rule applies.

A “90-year” lease usually means 30 years plus two promised renewals, and since the Supreme Court’s 2025 ruling only the first 30 years are a registered property right. The renewals are a contract promise, so price the deal on 30 years.

A Thai company

A Thai company can own land if it is genuinely Thai-majority, with Thai shareholders who are real investors. It brings company law, accounts and tax filings, and suits a real Thai business, not a home.

Never use a nominee. Using Thai “shareholders” who hold shares for you, so that you can own land, is illegal under the Land Code and the Foreign Business Act. The authorities investigate these structures, and you can lose the land and face penalties. If a seller proposes one, walk away.

The main types of property in Thailand

Almost every foreign purchase is a condo, but the market offers more. The type decides whether you own it outright or hold it on a lease.

Condominiums

From towers near Bangkok’s BTS and MRT stations to sea-view buildings in Pattaya and Phuket, condos are the only homes a foreigner can own freehold. Read the building’s rules too: most ban stays of under 30 days.

Villas

Private pool villas are the signature of Phuket’s west coast and Koh Samui, with hillside homes and branded residences around Kamala and Surin. A villa stands on land, so a foreigner usually buys it on a lease.

Houses

A house works the same way: the land stays in Thai ownership and is leased to you, while the building can be yours. Quieter areas such as Rawai and Nai Harn suit buyers who plan to live in the home.

Land plots

You cannot buy a plot in your own name. To build, lease the land and own the house you put on it, after your lawyer has checked the title deed (chanote) at the Land Office.

Apartments

An apartment for sale is usually a condo unit, and its legal status is what counts. Your lawyer checks the condominium registration, and once a building’s foreign quota is full, its other units can only be leased.

Townhouses and shophouses

A townhouse, or a shophouse like those in Phuket Old Town, stands on its own plot, so the rules for a house apply: you can lease the land and own the building, but not buy the plot.

Off-plan and resort units

Many condos are sold off-plan. Link each payment to a construction milestone and ask how deposits are protected. Hotel-managed units are often sold with a “guaranteed rental return”: ask who pays it, out of what, and what happens when it ends.

Step by step: how a foreigner buys in Thailand

A condo purchase can be quick, but the paperwork must be right, above all the foreign quota and the proof that your money came from abroad.

1. Set your budget and your structure

Decide what you will buy and how you will hold it before you fix a budget. Buying costs are low for the buyer, about 2% with the lawyer in our worked example, and most buyers pay from their own funds.

2. Research the market

Each market has its own buyer, price level and rental pattern. Compare the areas, visit if you can, and check each building’s rules before you choose.

3. Instruct an independent lawyer

Choose a Thai lawyer independent of the seller, the developer and the agent, and agree the fee and the checks in writing. If you cannot be there, sign a power of attorney.

4. Reserve the unit

A reservation deposit, often THB 50,000–200,000, takes the unit off the market. Confirm the foreign quota first, and make sure the deposit is refundable if the checks fail.

5. Title checks and due diligence

Your lawyer checks the title deed (chanote) at the Land Office, and also:

  • The developer’s licences and building permits
  • The condominium registration
  • Any unpaid fees
  • The foreign quota letter

6. Sign the sale agreement

It sets the price, the payment schedule, the completion date, who pays which fees, and the penalties. Off-plan, tie each payment to a construction milestone.

7. Send the money from abroad

For a freehold condo, transfer the full price in foreign currency, give the purpose as a condominium purchase, and obtain the bank’s FET certificate.

8. Transfer at the Land Office

Fees and taxes are paid on transfer day and the property is registered in your name. Keep the title deed, the FET certificate, receipts and contracts together: you need them to sell and to send the money home.

Costs and taxes when buying property in Thailand

Buying costs are low for the buyer, because most taxes on a sale fall on the seller. Who pays what is negotiable, though, so check the contract.

The transfer fee

The Land Office charges 2% on its appraised value, not the price, and buyer and seller often split it 50/50. The 2026–27 cut to 0.01% applies only to Thai buyers.

Taxes on the sale

The other taxes due at transfer are normally the seller’s:

  • Specific business tax, 3.3%: If the seller has owned the property for under five years, in place of stamp duty.
  • Stamp duty, 0.5%: When specific business tax does not apply.
  • Withholding tax: Income tax on the sale, 1% for a company seller and a sliding scale for individuals.

For the title, quota and permit checks, the contract review and the transfer, expect around THB 30,000–100,000 or more. Agree the fee in writing.

Other costs of buying and owning

  • Sinking fund: A one-off payment into a new condo’s reserve fund, usually by the first buyer, set per m² by the project.
  • Common area fees: Monthly, per m², for security, cleaning, pools and gyms. Ask for the building’s accounts and arrears.
  • Land and building tax: Yearly, on the appraised value: 0.02% on a second home up to THB 50 million, rising to 0.1%. A main home whose owner is on the house register is largely exempt.
  • Utilities and insurance: Electricity, water and internet, plus contents and liability insurance, especially if you let.
  • Income tax on rent: Taxable even for non-residents, at 0–35% after allowances. A company tenant withholds tax from each payment.

What it adds up to

On a THB 5 million resale condo, owned by the seller for under five years and appraised at the price, the buyer pays THB 50,000 as half the transfer fee and about THB 50,000 to a lawyer: around 2% in all. The seller pays the other half of the fee, THB 165,000 in specific business tax and the withholding tax. Entry costs are modest, so the long-term sums depend on running costs and tax on any rent.

Financing options for foreign buyers

Most foreign buyers in Thailand pay cash. These are the realistic ways to fund a purchase:

Thai bank mortgages

Thai banks rarely lend to foreigners without long-term residence and a local income, so a Thai mortgage is seldom an option.

Borrowing in your home country

Some buyers borrow against property they own at home and send the money to Thailand in foreign currency.

Developer payment plans

Off-plan developers often take payment in stages. Link each instalment to a milestone and ask how your deposits are protected.

Using your own funds

Paying from savings is the most common route. A freehold condo can only be registered if the price came in as foreign currency, so:

  • Send foreign currency, not baht, stating “purchase of condominium unit”.
  • Send it in your own name, to your own Thai account or the developer’s.
  • Ask for the FET certificate; for smaller amounts you may need to request it.
  • Keep every FET certificate: you need it to send sale money home.

On a six-figure sum, a small move in the exchange rate can cost more than your legal fees. Use a regulated currency specialist rather than your bank’s margin, and consider a forward contract to fix the rate.

The best places to buy property in Thailand

Most foreign buyers choose between Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, each with its own buyer, price level and rental pattern.

Bangkok

The capital is the deepest condo market, with thousands of units on the BTS Skytrain and MRT lines and a large pool of expat, professional and student tenants:

  • Thonglor and Ekkamai: The most fashionable district, with international schools, premium rents, low vacancy and high resale values.
  • Phrom Phong and Asok: Around the EmQuartier and Emporium malls, popular with executives and families.
  • Sathorn, Silom and the river: The financial and diplomatic core, with riverside luxury towers and corporate tenants.
  • Rama 9: A newer business district with lower entry prices and young professional tenants.

Pattaya

A beach city two hours from Bangkok, popular with retirees and long stays:

  • Jomtien and Na Jomtien: A long beach and a relaxed, residential feel.
  • Pratumnak and Wongamat: The headland and the quieter northern beach, with higher-end sea-view condos.
  • Central Pattaya: Busy and tourist-driven, mostly studios and one-beds; check the rules before planning short lets.

Pattaya lies in the Eastern Economic Corridor development zone, near U-Tapao airport. Ask which infrastructure is built, funded or only planned.

Phuket

Thailand’s largest island is its most international market, with flights from Europe, the Middle East and Asia, international schools and hospitals, and a long season:

  • Bang Tao and Laguna: An established west-coast resort area with golf and international schools.
  • Kamala and Surin: Hillside sea-view villas and branded residences.
  • Rawai and Nai Harn: The laid-back south, with steady long-term demand from expats and remote workers.
  • Patong: The busiest tourist hub, with high occupancy in season and the most competition.

Chiang Mai

The northern cultural capital combines low prices with long-stay tenants:

  • Nimman: Cafés, co-working and universities, suited to short- and medium-term tenants.
  • Old City and Chang Khlan: Small condos and boutique buildings near the moat, the Night Bazaar and the river.
  • Santitham: More local, walkable and affordable, with younger expats.

Hua Hin and Koh Samui

Hua Hin, a royal resort town three hours from Bangkok, and Koh Samui, with villas on the Gulf, are smaller resale markets, so take local advice on demand and access.

Living in Thailand: visas and tax residence

Owning a condo does not give you the right to live in Thailand. Your visa depends on your age, income, savings or the kind of work you do.

The main visa routes

As of November 2026, the main options were:

  • Visa-free visits: 30 days on arrival for UK, EU and many other visitors, usually extendable once.
  • Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): Five years, multiple entry, up to 180 days per stay, for remote workers and people on courses such as Muay Thai. THB 500,000 in savings, a THB 10,000 fee, and no work for Thai clients.
  • Retirement visa: From age 50, with THB 800,000 in a Thai bank, THB 65,000 a month in income, or a combination. One year at a time; the O-A version also needs health insurance.
  • Long-Term Resident (LTR): Ten years, for wealthy pensioners (US$80,000 a year), wealthy global citizens (US$1 million in assets, US$500,000 invested in Thailand) and high-earning remote workers.
  • Thailand Privilege: A paid membership: Gold THB 900,000 (five years), Platinum THB 1.5 million (ten), Diamond THB 2.5 million (15), Reserve THB 5 million (20, by invitation), each entry giving up to a year.
  • Marriage and work: Separate non-immigrant visas; work needs a work permit.

Thresholds change often, so check the official e-Visa portal before you apply.

The 180-day rule

180 days or more in Thailand in a calendar year makes you tax resident, and since 2024 residents can be taxed on foreign income they bring in, unless a treaty says otherwise. Take cross-border advice before you move.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most costly mistakes are made before transfer day. These ten come up most often:

  • Using a nominee: It is illegal; you can lose the land.
  • Paying before checking the quota: Get the quota letter first.
  • Sending baht: Without an FET certificate you may not register the condo.
  • Trusting a “90-year” lease: Only 30 years are a registered right.
  • Planning holiday lets in a condo: Under 30 days usually breaches the Hotel Act and the building’s rules.
  • Believing “guaranteed returns”: Plan on realistic net income.
  • Using the seller’s lawyer: Instruct your own.
  • Ignoring the appraised value: Fees and taxes are charged on it.
  • Losing the paperwork: The FET and tax receipts let you send sale money home.
  • Forgetting tax residence: 180 days can make income you bring in taxable.

Tips for a successful purchase

Work with independent local experts

Choose a lawyer licensed in Thailand, independent of the seller and the agent, fluent in your language and used to foreign buyers. Every listing on MiMove shows the agency behind it, and each agency has its own page with all its listings.

Judge the market on real figures

Use market data to compare areas, not to value a property. Underwrite any rental plan on your own conservative figures after fees, tax and maintenance.

Know the letting rules

Long-term letting is simple and legal. Letting for under 30 days is where most foreign owners get into trouble:

  • Short stays count as a hotel: Under the Hotel Act they need a hotel licence; the small non-hotel licence is for Thai nationals only.
  • Condos usually ban them: Most condominium rules prohibit them unless the building holds a hotel licence, and managers can fine owners.
  • The penalties: Fines of up to THB 20,000 plus THB 10,000 a day, or up to a year in prison.
  • Reporting guests: Foreign guests must be reported to immigration (TM30) within 24 hours.
  • Monthly and yearly lets: Legal in most condos. Use a written contract in Thai and English and a deposit of one to two months’ rent.

Arrange management

A rental agency typically charges 10–20% of the rent for tenants, maintenance and reporting. Agree the fee in writing.

Think long term

A freehold condo can be sold and the proceeds sent home with your FET certificate and tax receipts. Price a lease on its registered 30 years and plan for its end early. Thai rules change often, so confirm your position with an independent Thai lawyer and a tax adviser before you commit.