In 2026, foreigners are able to purchase real estate in Thailand, including condominiums with freehold status. These are commonly referred to as condominiums, where private ownership extends to the apartments and the common areas are owned jointly by all residents. It's important to note that foreigners may own no more than 49% of the residential floor area of a building. The quota is measured in square metres rather than in the number of units, so it can run out even when plenty of apartments are still unsold.
Content:
- The process of buying property in Thailand: Main stages
- How to transfer the money and what the FET form is
- Remote purchase of real estate in Thailand
- Buying property in Thailand: Stages of the process
- Purchase real estate in Thailand: Prices
- Property taxes in Thailand
- The annual land and building tax
- Let us help you buy real estate in Thailand!
- Frequently asked questions
The situation is different with private homes. In modern villa and townhouse developments, freehold units are also available. However, freehold ownership only covers the building itself, not the land underneath, which cannot be sold to foreigners. Instead, it can be leased on a long-term basis. The standard lease for such land is 30 years. Renewals of 30 plus 30 years used to be sold as 90 years of ownership, but in March 2025 the Supreme Court of Thailand ruled such arrangements invalid: a promise of renewal has no force unless it is registered at the Land Department, and only the current 30-year term can be registered. A renewal is signed as a separate contract at the end of the term and depends on who owns the land at that point.
Foreign buyers interested in real estate in Thailand can consider leasehold projects. Apartments and houses of this type, along with land, are purchased with a 30-year right of use. Properties in such developments are cheaper than freehold ones, and that is a reasonable price for a smaller set of rights: reselling is harder, and the next buyer inherits an even shorter remaining term.
For those planning to purchase houses or apartments in Thailand for permanent residence, long-term ownership can be an excellent alternative to traditional renting, as the owner has more rights than a tenant. Such properties can be inherited, sold, gifted, or rented out.
The process of buying property in Thailand: Main stages
Let's look at the process of buying real estate in Thailand. Today, transactions can be conducted remotely or in person. Since there are restrictions on foreigners in the Kingdom, it's advisable to use specialized agencies. Many companies that work with foreign clients offer translation services and complete transaction support.
The main stages of acquiring a house in Thailand are as follows:
- Select an apartment or house. Determine whether you are willing to take a long-term lease at a more affordable price or pay more to acquire private ownership.
- Reserve the chosen unit by signing a reservation agreement and paying a deposit. At this stage it is usually a fixed sum of 50,000–200,000 baht ($1,500–6,000) rather than a percentage of the price. The first large instalment of 20–30% is paid when the main contract is signed. Check whether the reservation deposit is refundable and on what terms: in most cases it is not.
- If you're considering options on the secondary market, it's crucial that the broker conduct a legal review of the seller's documents. Also, carefully inspect the technical condition of the building: the state of the utilities, roof, floors, bathrooms, etc.
- Ask the juristic person of the building for a Foreign Quota Letter and a debt-free certificate confirming that maintenance fees have been paid. Without the first document the Land Department will not register the unit in a foreigner's name, and any arrears covered by the second one pass to you along with the apartment.
- Signing of the contract of sale, which specifies the obligations of both parties, the characteristics of the asset and the responsibility for the payment of taxes. The buyer receives a draft of the contract in English and Thai. After review, one copy is sent to the Land Department. It's important to sign the contract within 30 days of the reservation.
- The remaining amount is transferred to the seller's account, either through a foreign or local bank. Taxes and fees are also paid at this stage. Typically, the buyer bears the cost of bank transfer fees, while other expenses fall on the seller. If you are buying from a developer, there may be additional charges such as depreciation fund, maintenance of common areas, installation of meters, telephone charges, etc.
- Submit the necessary documents to the Land Department to complete the transaction (passports, marriage certificates, parental information, etc.).
- Register the transaction with the Land Department and complete the final version of the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
- Obtain a certificate of ownership (title deed).
How to transfer the money and what the FET form is
This is the step where registration most often falls apart. To register a condominium as freehold, a foreigner must prove that the money entered Thailand from abroad in foreign currency and was converted into baht inside the country. The proof is issued by a Thai bank and is called the Foreign Exchange Transaction Form, or FET form. Without it the Land Department will refuse registration, and no receipt from the developer can replace it.
- The transfer must be made in the name of the buyer — the person the unit will be registered to. A payment sent by a relative or a partner creates a problem at registration.
- The purpose of payment must be stated: purchase of a condominium unit, with the address or the project name. Agree the wording with the developer and the bank in advance.
- Banks issue the FET form for transfers of $50,000 and above. For smaller amounts they provide a credit note or a bank letter, which the Land Department also accepts. Since spring 2026 banks apply enhanced due diligence to transfers above $200,000, so have your source-of-funds documents ready.
- The transferred amount must cover the full price of the unit. If you pay in instalments, you need paperwork for each payment, and they are submitted to the Land Department together.
Leasehold units and houses do not require an FET form, but it grants no rights there either: what gets registered is a long-term lease agreement, not ownership.
"The most common mistake is sending the money early and in the wrong way. A client pays through a friend or in roubles at a local representative office, and at registration it turns out there is nothing to prove where the foreign currency came from. You cannot fix that retroactively — the money has to go back and be sent again."
— a property lawyer working on transactions in Thailand
Remote purchase of real estate in Thailand
To purchase real estate in Thailand, a foreign buyer is not required to visit the Kingdom. The remote transaction process is well established and runs through intermediaries. Typically, brokers or lawyers from real estate agencies play the role of intermediaries, offering complete transaction support, from selecting the house to finalizing ownership rights.
Remote transactions are often favored by investors who purchase apartments and villas in Thailand to rent it out. It is advisable to choose fully developed properties in residential complexes with amenities. Another good option is a condominium with hotel services.
A developer or management company may offer a full management contract for the condominium. In this case, the company takes care of all procedures related to renting out the asset, including finding tenants, move-in preparation, minor cosmetic repairs, technical maintenance, and more. Guaranteed-income programmes usually promise 5–7% a year, but they run for a limited period — normally three to five years — and the developer builds the cost of that guarantee into the price of the unit. What happens after the programme ends depends on actual occupancy and on your contract with the management company.
Buying property in Thailand: Stages of the process
The remote real estate purchase process in Thailand consists of several stages. Let's explore them in more detail using the example of purchasing an apartment in a condominium under construction:
- Selecting it for future purchase through specialized portals or a specific developer's website.
- Reserve it, prepare supporting documents, and sign a contract with the developer, translated into the buyer's language.
- Deposit payment by the buyer through a bank account.
- After receiving the funds, the developer prepares a contract for full payment of the asset.
- Transfer the remaining amount to the developer's account.
- Issue a power of attorney for your representative in Thailand. It is signed before a notary and then legalised at a Thai embassy or consulate — an apostille does not work here, as the Kingdom is not a party to the Hague Convention. The document is drawn up for a specific transaction and names the property.
- Once the building is ready for occupancy, the buyer or his representative inspects the apartment and signs an acceptance certificate. The title deed is then processed. All procedures can be carried out independently or through an intermediary, such as a broker or other trusted person.
Purchase real estate in Thailand: Prices
To find out the cost of housing in Thailand, you can visit the catalog on our website, where a large number of offers from various developers and real estate agencies are collected.
Location has a significant impact on the price of apartments and houses. Small apartments and studios start at around $30,000 — these are buildings away from the beach in less touristy areas, and such units are most often sold on a leasehold basis.
Phuket starts higher: modern apartments in a freehold development with amenities cost from $100,000. Below are the price-per-square-metre benchmarks for 2026, so you can see where the difference between cities comes from.
| City | Price per m² | What you get for it |
|---|---|---|
| Bangkok | around 200,000 baht ($6,040) in the centre, up to 315,000 in premium projects | A city apartment with transport links, aimed at long-term rental |
| Phuket | median around 144,000 baht ($4,350), mass segment 70,000–120,000 | Resort format with a pool and services, suited to short-term rental |
| Pattaya | 67,000–75,000 baht ($2,020–2,265), 100,000–150,000 near the sea | The cheapest way into a seaside market, with a large resale supply |
| Samui, Hua Hin, Krabi | below Phuket, limited supply | Quieter and less touristy, but harder to sell on |
The price of apartments and houses also depends on various parameters such as the total area, the type of floor plan, the view from the windows and the presence of hotel services and amenities in the residential complex.
Property taxes in Thailand
Transaction costs in Thailand are calculated not from the contract price but from the higher of two figures: the appraised value set by the Land Department or the actual sale price. Four payments arise at registration.
| Payment | Amount | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | 2% of the appraised value | By agreement, often split or paid by the buyer |
| Specific Business Tax (SBT) | 3.3% if the property was owned for less than 5 years | Seller |
| Stamp duty | 0.5%, charged only when SBT does not apply | Seller |
| Withholding tax | 1% of the value for companies; a progressive scale for individuals | Seller |
SBT and stamp duty are never charged together: you pay one or the other. That is why selling after five years of ownership is noticeably cheaper for the seller — 0.5% instead of 3.3%. In total the state takes roughly 2.5% to 6.3% of the value of the deal.
For an individual, withholding tax is calculated not from the profit but by a formula: a standard deduction based on the length of ownership is subtracted from the appraised value, the remainder is divided by the number of years of ownership and taxed on a progressive scale of 5% to 35%. The longer you have owned the unit, the smaller the resulting amount.
Investors who rent out an asset but are not tax residents of the country pay 15% of the rental income. If the owner is a tax resident with a Taxpayer Identification Number, the tax is calculated on a progressive scale of 5% to 35%. A foreigner becomes a tax resident by staying in the Kingdom for more than 180 days per year.
The annual land and building tax
Besides the one-off costs of the deal there is an annual land and building tax. It has been in force since 2020, but all those years it was collected with discounts. From 2026 the relief is gone — the tax is charged at the full statutory rate, and many owners will see the real figure on the bill for the first time.
- An apartment you live in yourself and are registered in the house book: the first 10 million baht of appraised value is exempt, above that the rate starts at 0.02% and rises with value.
- Housing that is not your main home — an investment unit, a second property, a house for rent: there is no exemption, and the rate runs from 0.02% up to 0.1% for properties above 100 million baht.
- Vacant land is taxed at a higher rate, which increases by 0.3 percentage points for every three years it stays unused.
An example makes it concrete: a unit with an appraised value of 5 million baht bought for rental costs about 1,000 baht in tax a year (roughly $30). Assessment notices go out by April and payment is due by June; bills of 3,000 baht and above can be paid in instalments. The notice goes to the owner, but in practice the building's management often passes it on — clarify this if you live outside Thailand, as late payment carries a penalty.
Let us help you buy real estate in Thailand!
Today many new developments complexes are being built in Pattaya, Phuket, Bangkok and other popular Thai cities and provinces. Developers are offering the opportunity to buy property during construction at an advantageous price with the option to pay for the purchase in installments without interest. Such properties sell out quickly. With our website, you will always be informed about new offers and have the opportunity to buy the most attractive option directly from the developer. We do not charge commissions as we work directly with sellers and developers.
The catalog is constantly updated with new offers from reputable developers and real estate agencies. With advanced search filters, you can easily find the optimal option for your future purchase of property in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the purchase take?
From reservation to signing the main contract is normally no more than 30 days, and registration at the Land Department takes a single working day. On the resale market the whole process fits into one to one and a half months; buying off-plan stretches until the building is handed over.
Do I need a Thai bank account?
Not for the purchase itself — the money goes straight to the seller or the developer. You will need an account later, for utility bills and rental income.
Can I buy without travelling to Thailand?
Yes, the deal is done through a representative acting under a power of attorney. The document is signed before a notary and legalised at a Thai embassy — an apostille is not accepted.
Does buying property give me a visa?
Since 1 October 2025 a purchase from 3 million baht supports a long-term visa, and an investment from 10 million baht allows the stay to be extended annually. Citizenship is not granted for a purchase.
What are the costs after the deal?
Maintenance fees, utilities and the annual land and building tax — from 2026 it is charged at the full rate, without the earlier discounts.