FAQ

To buy a property in Thailand in freehold terms implies outright ownership of the property. Non-residents, foreigners, are allowed to purchase in “foreign freehold” only condominiums, within the “Foreign Quota”, representing a maximum of 49% of the total surface area allocated to foreign freehold ownership in the condominium.
To buy a property in leasehold terms equals to a long term, up to 30-year, lease of the property, renewable once or twice. Houses and villas for sale are in leasehold terms, and you are the Lessee in the lease contract, registered at the Land department. You can renew, sell, transfer your lease as per the conditions agreed in the lease contract.

In Thailand, the Land department is the government body in charge of the land registry, and topography. The Land department, with provincial offices through Thailand issues property titles and manages real-estate transactions, as well as taxes and fees settlements.

Absolutely. to purchase a property in Thailand, you don’t need to be physically in Thailand. The reservation, contract arrangements, signatures, and payments can be done from overseas. You are invited to attend to the appointment at the Land department to register your property, but you can always skip this attendance.

Yes, you can register your property at the Land department without coming to Thailand with a Power of Attorney (POA) to a representative, agent, lawyer, who will represent you and take care of the registration at the Land department on your behalf. The PoA form, given by the Land department, is to be notarized in your country of residence within 30 days of the appointment at the Land department for registration.

Yes, you can invest in properties in Thailand to generate income in several ways.
Hospitality groups are welcoming early investors with below average market price units, and offer rental guarantee programs, with up to 7% ROI yearly. 
You can invest in a property and rent it out by yourself or with the help of a rental management company. Some property developers offer advantageous pool rental programs, where rental revenue is pooled among owners and then redistributed equally. 
It’s also possible to buy a villa or condominium off-plan, before the project is being completed, at a lower price per sqm than the market price, allowing for flexible payment terms, and substantial capital gains.

All real-estate due taxes in Thailand are settled when you purchase a property at the provincial Land department office. There is a yearly property tax applicable on your property in Thailand, the amount is very low, from 0.02% to 0.3% of the property value per year. You are subject to the Personal Income Tax scheme if you generate revenue with your property, through rentals.

No, there are no hidden fees to provision out of what is outlined in this article when you buy a condo or a villa in Thailand.

Decision remains yours, but technically, this is not necessary in all cases, depending on the ownership set up is a condominium in freehold, or a Thai limited company buying a property.

Yes, it is authorized by the Ministry of Land Affairs under some conditions. Your bank will need to provide a credit memo or credit note via a transfer form. Then, the receiving Thai bank must issue a reference letter containing specific information: confirmation that the money comes from overseas, confirmation that the funds are intended for a real estate purchase, buyer’s name, property details.