Thailand and Vietnam are 2 of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The tropical climate attracts Europeans who want to escape their winters and it's an all-year-round beach lover’s paradise. Lovers of the exotic are interested in the cultural heritage of both countries. Many foreigners start to think about buy-to-live, buy-to-relax or buy-to-invest homes after vacationing in these countries.
Let’s have a look at which of these 2 countries is best for buy-to-invest real estate and where it’s easier for a foreigner to buy an apartment or house.
Content:
- Economic situation
- Laws and regulations of real estate ownership
- What changed in Vietnam in 2024
- Foreign ownership rights compared
- Investment profits
- Prices and yields in figures
- Frequently asked questions
Economic situation
The Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam are members of ASEAN - the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. These countries are referred to as "Asian Tigers of the second wave (with the Tiger Cub Economies)" or new industrial countries. Thailand and Vietnam are always developing. The growing urbanization means there’s rapid construction in large cities and administrative centers. The real estate market offers many modern facilities of high quality in both countries.
Thailand is still ahead of Vietnam in economic development, but the gap keeps narrowing: the Vietnamese economy has grown faster for most of the past decade. Tourism has diverged too. In 2025 Thailand welcomed 32.97 million foreign visitors, 7.2% fewer than a year earlier, while Vietnam set a record of 21.2 million, up 20.4%. For a buy-to-let investor that matters more than any macro indicator: Thailand has the larger flow, Vietnam the faster growth.
.jpg "Real estate in Vietnam and Thailand. What should you choose?")
Laws and regulations of real estate ownership
Thailand’s real estate market is regulated by the Land Code of 1954 and the Condominium Act of 1979, both with later amendments. Vietnam has rewritten its rules from scratch: the new Housing Law of 2023 and Land Law of 2024 came into force on 1 August 2024, replacing the earlier acts of 2013 and 2014.
Foreign individuals and companies have been able to buy Vietnamese real estate since 2015. But Vietnam is a socialist republic, and there is no permanent freehold for foreigners. A foreign owner gets a 50-year title with the right to one extension of another 50 years — up to a century in total. The clock starts from the date the ownership certificate is issued, not from the date of the contract. Marriage to a Vietnamese citizen brings rights close to those of a local.
To understand the terms of buying property in Thailand and Vietnam, here is a reminder of the forms of ownership available in these countries:
Freehold — full ownership with no time limit.
Leasehold — ownership limited in time, essentially a long-term lease with the right to let, sell, gift and bequeath the property.
There are other restrictions for foreigners in Vietnam. You cannot settle anywhere you like: purchases are only possible in projects licensed for foreign ownership and outside border zones and areas restricted for national security. Quotas apply: no more than 30% of the units in one building and no more than 250 standalone houses within an administrative unit.
A foreigner cannot own land in Thailand either. A long-term lease is possible, with a statutory maximum of 30 years: the promise of two further renewals was ruled a circumvention of the law by the Supreme Court in March 2025. There is also the structure with a Thai company where citizens hold 51% of the shares, but nominee shareholders are now under close scrutiny from the Department of Lands, and that route is hard to call safe.
Condominium units, on the other hand, can be bought by a foreigner in full ownership (Freehold) anywhere in Thailand. The single restriction: foreigners may hold no more than 49% of the building’s residential floor area — the quota counts square metres, not units.
A required condition to buy property in Thailand is transferring funds in the currency of the buyer's bank/country and converting it directly into baht in the bank of Thailand.
Mortgages are available in both countries, on different terms. Vietnamese banks lend foreigners up to 70% of the property value at 6.5–7.5% a year. Thai banks also lend to foreigners, though less readily: 5.5–8% a year, 50–70% of the value, and almost exclusively against a condominium unit.
Neither country grants citizenship for buying property. Thailand, however, now offers status: since 1 October 2025 buying completed housing from THB 3 million (about $90,600) is grounds for a long-stay visa, issued from 1 February 2026. The Thailand Privilege programme has nothing to do with real estate: it is a membership fee from THB 650,000, and no property purchase is involved.
What changed in Vietnam in 2024
The new package of laws changed the rules for foreign buyers noticeably. Here is what matters.
- Ownership still runs for 50 years, but the extension for a second such term is now written into the law rather than left to an official’s discretion.
- Resale from one foreigner to another is now allowed. Previously the only exit was a buyer with Vietnamese citizenship, which badly hurt liquidity.
- Requirements for developers have tightened: a project may only be sold once the full set of permits is in place, and project information must be published.
- The quotas remain: 30% of the units in a building and 250 standalone houses per administrative unit.
Foreign ownership rights compared
| What you buy | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Land | No ownership. Lease of up to 30 years, registered with the Department of Lands | No ownership: land belongs to the state |
| Condominium unit | Freehold where foreign quota is available — 49% of the building’s residential floor area | A 50-year title renewable for another 50; quota of 30% of the units in a building |
| House, villa, townhouse | The house can be registered separately from the land; the plot is leased | Up to 250 standalone houses per administrative unit, in licensed projects only |
| Status after the purchase | A property visa from THB 3 million, extended annually | Not available |
| Where you may buy | No regional restrictions | Only projects approved for foreign ownership |
| Mortgage | Yes: 50–70% of the value at 5.5–8% a year | Yes: up to 70% of the value at 6.5–7.5% a year |
Investment profits
The most famous resort in Vietnam is Nha Trang. There are also resorts in Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Da Nang, etc. In Pattaya, Phuket, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and other popular resorts in Thailand, you’ll find real estate for every taste and budget.
The real estate market in Thailand has been open to foreign investors for a long time. All the processes to purchase a home are worked out and easy to do. Vietnam only opened to this in 2015 when foreign property purchase rights changed dramatically. Many potential investors are still afraid to enter the market because the government can change the rules of the game again.
Prices and yields in figures
The claim that "Vietnam is cheaper" no longer holds everywhere: central Ho Chi Minh City costs more than Bangkok, while Vietnam’s regional cities and resorts really are cheaper than Thailand’s.
| Indicator | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Price per m², major city | Bangkok about THB 200,000 ($6,040) in the centre | Ho Chi Minh City $2,900–6,100 depending on the district, Hanoi about $3,850 |
| Price per m², resort | Phuket median THB 144,000 ($4,350), Pattaya THB 67,000–75,000 ($2,020–2,265) | Da Nang $1,400–2,000 |
| Gross rental yield | About 6.5% nationwide, Phuket 7–8.4%, Pattaya 6–7.5% | Ho Chi Minh City 3.5–4.5%, Hanoi 4–5%, Da Nang 4.5–6% |
| Tourist arrivals in 2025 | 32.97 million, down 7.2% year on year | 21.2 million, up 20.4% |
The gap in yields has a simple explanation: Thailand has a far deeper short-term rental market for tourists, while most Vietnamese transactions are homes for locals, where rents sit lower relative to prices. Vietnam, on the other hand, is growing faster, and entry in regional resorts such as Da Nang costs almost half as much.
"Comparing two countries by price per square metre is pointless: what matters is how you exit the property. Thailand has had a working secondary market for foreigners for years, while Vietnam only allowed foreigner-to-foreigner resale in 2024 and the practice is still thin."
— a Southeast Asian property market analyst
In Thailand, real estate is more expensive in general than in Vietnam but its profitability is higher. Many foreigners have been buying apartments and houses there for a long time and there are no concerns about property safety.
Frequently asked questions
Where does a foreigner get stronger rights?
In Thailand: a condominium unit is registered in full ownership with no time limit. In Vietnam the title is always fixed-term — 50 years with one renewal for another 50.
Where are rental yields higher?
In Thailand: about 6.5% gross nationwide and 7–8.4% in Phuket against 3.5–5% in Vietnam’s major cities. The reason is a far deeper short-term rental market for tourists.
Where is entry cheaper?
It depends on the location. Da Nang at $1,400–2,000 per square metre undercuts any Thai resort, while central Ho Chi Minh City costs more than central Bangkok.
Can a foreigner get a mortgage?
Yes, in both countries. Vietnamese banks lend up to 70% of the value at 6.5–7.5% a year, Thai banks 50–70% at 5.5–8%, and almost exclusively against a condominium unit.
Does buying property give you the right to live in the country?
In Vietnam, no. In Thailand, since 1 October 2025 buying completed housing from THB 3 million is grounds for a long-stay visa — though not for permanent residence and not for the right to work.