How to buy property in Thailand: a step-by-step checklist
Updated · ZODIAC Co., Ltd.
Buying property in Thailand as a foreigner follows a clear sequence: set your budget and legal structure, choose the property, reserve it, carry out legal due diligence, sign the sale or lease agreement, remit funds from abroad with proper bank evidence, and register the transfer or lease at the Land Office. Each step has checks that protect you, and skipping them is where most problems start.
Step 1: Define your purpose and budget
Decide how you will use the property: your own home, a holiday base, a long-term rental or a combination. The answer affects location, property type and legal structure. Then set a total budget that includes transaction costs, furnishing and a reserve for the first year of ownership.
A realistic budget covers more than the price. Allow for your share of transfer fees and taxes, the sinking fund and advance common fees for a new condominium, lease registration costs for a villa, legal fees and furniture.
Decide at this stage how you will pay. Most foreign buyers pay in cash from abroad, because Thai bank lending to non-resident foreigners is limited. If you plan to finance through your home country, find out early whether your lender will accept Thai property as security or will lend against assets at home instead. Currency matters too: payments are in baht, so movements in your home currency can change the effective price between reservation and completion, particularly on off-plan schedules spread over several years.
Step 2: Choose the legal structure
For a condominium, the usual structure is freehold in your own name under the 49% foreign quota. For a villa, it is a registered land lease of up to 30 years with ownership of the house, often supported by a registered superficies. Avoid structures that rely on nominee Thai shareholders. If you are buying with a partner, decide how you will hold title, and if a visa is part of your plan, check whether the structure qualifies.
The legal structure also determines what you will receive at the end. A condominium buyer receives a condominium title deed in their own name. A villa buyer receives a registered lease endorsed on the land title, a registered superficies if agreed, and evidence of ownership of the building. Know which documents you should hold before you start, so that you can check you have them at the end.
Step 3: Shortlist properties and areas
Visit the areas, ideally in both high and low season, and compare properties on price per square metre, distance to the beach and services, building quality and management. For new projects, compare completion dates and developer track records. For resales, compare with recent sales in the same building.
Keep a simple comparison sheet with price, area, price per square metre, fees, completion date and distance to the places you use most. It makes differences between projects much easier to see than brochures do.
- Check the foreign quota status for condominiums in writing.
- Ask for common area fees, sinking fund charges and the latest building budget.
- Ask whether short-term letting is lawful in the building or estate.
- For villas, check the land title type, road access and estate management terms.
Step 4: Reserve the property
Most purchases start with a reservation agreement and a deposit. For condominiums sold through reservations, the reservation contract must follow the prescribed standard form in force since 31 January 2025, and the reservation fee must be refunded within 15 days in specified cases, such as the developer failing to obtain permits. Pay the deposit from abroad in foreign currency with the purchase purpose stated, so that it counts towards your foreign funds evidence.
Step 5: Instruct a lawyer and carry out due diligence
Instruct an independent lawyer who acts only for you. Their checks should cover the title deed and any mortgages or encumbrances, the developer or seller's company records, building permits and EIA approval where required, zoning, the quota position for condominiums, and the full contract package. For resales, they should also check that common fees are paid and that the seller's title is clean.
Ask your lawyer to explain the contract in writing, highlight the risks, and propose amendments before you sign.
For off-plan projects, due diligence should also cover the developer's completed projects, whether construction is financed by a bank, and how your payments will be protected if the project stops. For villas, it should confirm legal road access, utility connections and whether the building permit covers what is being sold, including pools and extra floors.
Step 6: Sign the sale or lease agreement
The main agreement sets the price, payment schedule, completion date, specification, penalties for delay, cost-sharing for taxes and fees, and termination rights. Condominium sale agreements must follow the standard form required under the Condominium Act. For villas, check that the lease will be registered for its full term, allows assignment and passes to heirs, and that any superficies and building transfer are documented. Make sure the Thai and English versions match.
Step 7: Remit funds correctly
Send every payment from your own account abroad in foreign currency, with the purpose stated as the purchase of the specific unit or property. The receiving Thai bank issues an FET form for transfers of USD 50,000 or more and a credit advice for smaller amounts. Keep every document: the Land Office will check them at transfer, and your bank will ask for them when you sell and repatriate proceeds. Expect enhanced bank checks for large transfers.
Step 8: Inspect and prepare for transfer
For new property, arrange a professional inspection before completion and list defects for the developer to fix. Confirm the actual area against the contract. For condominiums, obtain the debt-free letter from the juristic person. Agree the transfer date, the final balance and the cost split. If you cannot attend, sign a Land Office power of attorney in favour of your lawyer.
Ask the developer or seller for a breakdown of the amounts due on transfer day: the balance of the price, your share of government fees and taxes, the sinking fund, advance common fees and any meter deposits. Arrange the funds in good time, remembering that international transfers and bank compliance checks can take several days.
Step 9: Transfer at the Land Office
On transfer day, the buyer and seller, or their attorneys, attend the Land Office. The officials check identities, the contract, the foreign funds evidence and the quota position, calculate the fees and taxes on the appraised value, and register the transfer or lease. Final payment is often made by bank cheque at the Land Office. You leave with the title deed or registered lease in your name.
After transfer, register utilities, set up payment of common fees, arrange contents insurance, and make a Thai will covering the property.
Common mistakes to avoid
Most problems we see in Thai property purchases come from a handful of avoidable mistakes. Keep this list next to your checklist.
- Paying a deposit before checking the quota status or the land title.
- Using the seller's or developer's lawyer instead of an independent one.
- Sending money in baht, from a third party's account or without a stated purpose.
- Relying on 30+30+30 renewal promises or on proposed law changes that have not been enacted.
- Assuming nightly holiday letting is lawful in a condominium.
- Signing a Thai-language contract without a checked translation.
- Accepting a nominee company structure to hold land.